You are in: Home Page | News Desk | News Story

11th April 2008

Durham man knocked down outside his home by under age driver secures over £8,000 damages

Knocked down by a Car

A Durham man who was knocked unconscious outside his home by an under age driver has secured over £8,000 damages with the support of his trade union Unite and their personal injury specialists Thompsons.

Peter Ives, aged 60, was walking his dog outside his house when he was knocked down by a vehicle driven by a local 15 year old boy who didn’t have a driving licence and was not insured. It has also been suggested that he had been drinking. The boy fled the scene but was caught by police. The 21 year old passenger in the car was insured to drive the vehicle which belonged to his employer.

Hairline Fracture of the Skull

Mr Ives explains: “The car mounted the pavement outside my house and hit me; it crashed through a garden wall and into a parked car, with two people sat inside. I was knocked unconscious and was taken to University College hospital where they diagnosed a hairline fracture of the skull.”

“I’d recently had a knee replacement and was walking with the aid of a stick at the time. The accident meant that my wound was re-opened and I had to have more surgery. I also suffered cuts and bruises on my face, leg and shoulder. Since then, the boy has been prosecuted; he received a six month sentence in a young offenders’ institution plus 6 months training.”

Thompsons made a claim against the driver of the vehicle which was met by the RTA insurers, even though they had not actually insured the driver.

Davey Hall, Unite Regional Secretary said, “There are many thousands of accidents on the road each year that involve individuals who flout the law by failing to stop at the scene. This case was particularly distressing because the young lad was under age and uninsured. Fortunately, Peter Ives was a Unite member and was able to get the compensation he deserves for the injuries he suffered and the time he had to have off work. Furthermore, members like Peter Ives can rest assured that the union’s legal service also protects them if they are injured in non workplace accidents too, as this case highlights.”

Representing Peter Ives, Nicola Waugh from Thompsons Solicitors in Newcastle comments: “At the time of the accident, Peter Ives’ case was quite high profile. We’re relieved for him that it’s all over now. The money will help to cover his financial losses, because he had to have longer off work than he would have done following his knee replacement.”

This news story was also published by The Northern Echo.

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or anyone you know has suffered an injury as a result of a road traffic accident, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms.