Unfortunately, I did get a face full of ‘spring’, quite literally, as I got smacked off my bike by an old bed mattress. You couldn’t script it!
I had been following a battered Transit flatbed van for a couple of miles. It looked like it had just done a house clearance, as it was full of all sorts, when the wind caught it, and flipped the mattress off the back, straight into my face. I’m a big lad and went down like a sack of potatoes.
My mate who was behind reckoned I looked like the hippo from the silent night advert lying next to the mattress afterwards. Haha. The b#stard! Anyway, the Transit driver just trundled off down the road oblivious.
Thankfully, my mate got his registration number, and I got his address and insurance details from the Police. However, other than that, the Police don’t want to know and won’t help me get compensation for my broken arm and trashed kit. I’m thinking of suing the Police for negligence. What do you think?
Answer
The hippo comment made me chuckle. I’m glad you’ve kept your sense of humour. Regarding the issues, that does seem pretty poor by the Police as you have the registration number and have you and your mate who will give evidence of the Transit driver driving with an ‘unsecured load.’ I see no reason why the Transit driver shouldn’t be prosecuted for that.
As for suing someone, it’s not the Police you should be aiming for, but the Transit driver and his insurer. It should be a straightforward case, i.e. if the mattress had been secured properly, it wouldn’t have fallen off, wiped you out and caused you to sustain personal injury and loss. You will win.
I would just add that if you’re unhappy with the Police, you can raise a complaint with them, irrespective of bringing a claim against the Transit driver.
Andrew ‘Chef’ Prendergast
More Bikes – June 2024
