Hit and Run Cyclist Awarded £4 million

Patrice Gougam, 55, was left paralysed after being hit by a motorist, who had defective vision, while cycling on the Great North Road between Potters Bar and Barnet in November 2009. The driver shouldn’t have been driving, and now Gougam has been awarded £4 million in damages to help pay for the care that he will need around the clock for the rest of his life. His wife, Virginia, has now issued a plea for drivers to be more thoughtful of cyclists.

Gougam was the head coach at Enfield Tennis Club before he spent three months in a coma and a total 21 months in the hospital for treatment. The treatment included six months at the National Hospital for Neurosurgery and Neurology. Even now, he has to eat through a feeding tube and is restricted to a wheelchair.

Pensioner Michael Elliott, 66, was sentenced in October 2010 to eight months in jail after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failing to contact the DVLA about his eyesight problems and driving with a medical condition. He had been suffering from glaucoma and cataracts and claimed that he didn’t see Gougam before he hit him with his Land Rover. He continued his journey to a photography club meeting, which lasted two hours, before going back to the scene of the accident.

As the High Court judge entered the award against Elliott and his insurance provider, he praised Virginia for her extraordinary care, support and love for her husband. He also praised her determination to do all she can for his rehabilitation and care. Afterwards, the couple’s solicitors issued a statement that Virginia wishes other motorists will be more aware and patient of cyclists on busy roads in London in order to reduce the rising number of tragedies that cover both life-changing injuries and fatalities of cyclists.

Meanwhile, AA Motor Insurance has revealed that one in eight motorists on Irish roads have either nearly missed or hit a cyclist in just the last two years. The study polled over 12,500 motorists in Ireland, revealing that 5% have either nearly hit or have hit a motorcyclist, and 0.7% say they have had near misses or hit people on horseback. The research looked at incidents involving vulnerable road users, and also indicated that 11% of drivers have been involved in similar incidents with animals or pedestrians.

AA Ireland director of policy Conor Faughnan says that, during downpours, road surfaces will naturally be slicker and visibility can be affected. Cyclists may also swerve to avoid puddles drivers can’t see, while pedestrians will be hurrying to get out of the rain. This means drivers have to exercise extreme care and be prepared for the unexpected.