Lorry driver involved in collision that killed Janina Gehlau sued for negligence

The family of Janina Gehlau, who died after being hit by a lorry in London in 2014, are suing the driver and his employer for negligence. A jury cleared Vincent Doyle of causing Gehlau’s death by careless driving in 2016.

Janina Gehlau, a postgraduate student from Germany, died in hospital in October 2014 three days after she was hit by a left-turning truck at the junction of Ludgate Circus and Farringdon Road.

Doyle denied causing death by careless driving and insisted he had looked in his mirrors "five or six times" as he waited at the traffic lights.

Gehlau was using the cycle lane to the left of the carriageway as she approached the bike box at the junction and the prosecution said he should have seen in Doyle’s vehicle’s mirrors for between three and five seconds. They also pointed to the presence of a Trixie mirror at the junction, which is designed to help drivers of large vehicles see what is happening in their blind spots.

Launching the action against Doyle and his employer, PJC Sweepers Ltd, Gehlau's mother Andrea Vogt told the BBC: "The English justice system has failed us. Nothing has changed, no lessons have been learned from Janina's death."

She said that money had ‘never been a consideration’.

"This is about holding those responsible accountable and getting justice for Janina so we can finally grieve for her in peace."

As the standard of proof is lower in civil cases than criminal ones, r Doyle could still be held liable for the incident.