Dad shatters arm then sues Croydon Council for 'botched' safety measure that catapulted him off bicycle
A dad who shattered his arm after a 'botched' safety measure catapulted him from his bicycle is suing Croydon Council. Richard Lander was cycling down busy Brighton Road in the evening rush hour when he pulled out of the cycle lane to overtake a bus which had pulled into a stop at around 4:45pm on November 3.
In the late autumn darkness, the dad-of-two says he did not see a black 'base' on road which divides bikes and traffic, and was catapulted over the handlebars, hitting the ground so hard he broke his wrist. Six weeks later, after doctors stuck a metal plate in his arm, the 63-year-old IT project manager says he is still in constant pain and does not know when can get back to riding.
Mr Lander has since complained to the council about the road safety measures and has instructed Osbornes Law to take legal action in a bid to highlight the issue and get the council to make changes.
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“When you have an impact like that, it knocks you silly and I was in incredible pain. I’m just thankful for the passers-by who stopped to help me up out of the road, without whom it could have been a lot worse," Mr Lander said.
"I was covered in bruises and badly injured my coccyx, but it was my wrist that bore the brunt. It’s my dominant left hand so it’s affected my ability to do just about everything, from holding a cup of tea to dressing myself. I can’t work, I can’t drive and I think this is the longest in 60 years that I’ve gone without cycling.
"It’s also the first accident I’ve had, which I believe shouldn’t have happened in the first place, and so now I just want to make sure that the same thing doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Richard says the bases were originally put in with clearly visible wands before a decision was made to remove most of them. Although the bases and their reflective markings were left behind, he says the latter are little more than stickers which could easily be damaged by cars. He claims there were no such stickers on the night in question or the lights on his bike would have picked them out.
He added: “I was wearing a helmet, as I always do, a hi-vis coat and had lights on the front of my bike but they didn’t pick anything up. If they’re constantly being driven over by heavy vehicles, it stands to reason that these stickers aren’t going to last very long.
“The council could just keep replacing them, of course, but that is only a temporary solution. My hope is that this focuses the council’s attention on finding a more permanent and reliable way to ensure public safety.”
Sam Collard, head of cycling accident claims at Osbornes Law and part of the team representing Richard, added: “Whilst not life-threatening, Richard’s injuries are such that he may never regain full movement in his hand and, at best, faces a long and painful recovery.
“On a busy road at rush hour, however, it is incredibly fortunate that he was not more seriously hurt, and this should serve as a wake-up call for Croydon council to urgently review its so-called safety measures before the same or worse happens to someone else.”
A spokesperson for Croydon Council said they were unable to comment during active legal proceedings.
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