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A violinist who suffered multiple injuries after he was knocked off his title="Cycling Accident Claims">bicycle by a car has been supported by the title="MU">Musicians’ Union and Thompsons Solicitors in a compensation claim.
Jonathan Hill, 43, was cycling along Park Avenue in Enfield, London, when an oncoming car cut across his path without warning to turn onto another road. Jonathan was hit by the car as it turned, thrown over the windshield and landed on the ground, hitting his head as he did so.
Fortunately he was wearing a cycle helmet, however his injuries included bruising and grazing across his body, as well as pain in his neck, which required physiotherapy. The pain took three months to subside, and he also developed a ringing in his ears, known as tinnitus, which lasted almost two years.
The physical injuries forced Jonathan to miss 36 Les Misérables performances and the whiplash-induced tinnitus made sleeping difficult.
Jonathan contacted the Musicians’ Union and instructed road traffic accident specialists Thompsons Solicitors to make a claim for compensation.
“I’m very pleased with the service I received from the Musicians’ Union and Thompsons,” he said. “They didn’t stop at investigating my physical injuries, but also pursued a claim for the tinnitus, which was a huge inconvenience to me.
“If the driver had been paying attention to the road this wouldn’t have happened. If I didn’t have my union’s support, my situation could have been a lot worse.”
Dawn Rodger, from the Musicians’ Union, said: "As a member of the Musicians’ Union, Jonathan had access to a comprehensive package of free legal services to assist him in his claim. He was unable to work for several months because of something that wasn’t his fault, and we are proud to fight his case to ensure he secured the compensation he deserved."
Joanne Duggan, of Thompsons Solicitors, added: “Cyclists are some of the most vulnerable road users, with 102 being killed and thousands more seriously injured as a result of road collisions in 2016 alone. These worrying figures mean that, unfortunately, Jonathan’s case is not rare.
“Tougher sanctions and better education of drivers is the only way that cyclists will be able to take to the roads without fear of injury. Until this happens, Thompsons will continue to work closely with the trade union movement to ensure that members who do suffer injury on the roads are given a voice and fully supported in compensation claims.”