£200 compensation for cyclist hit by uninsured driver 'blinded by the sun'

A cyclist in Leicestershire who suffered a broken wrist and a sprained ankle when he was hit by an uninsured driver who claimed not to have seen him because the sun was in his eyes has been awarded £200 compensation by a court.

Robin Perry, aged 35, pleaded guilty at Harborough Magistrates’ Court last week to driving with no insurance and driving without due care and attention when the incident took lace in February, reports the Lutterworth Mail.

Speaking for the prosecution, Sukhjit Singh told the court that Perry had not given way to cyclist Stephen Whitmore who was riding along Welham Road in Harborough.

“In interview he said he has been turning right when he was hit by something yellow. He saw a person rolling around on the floor,” Mr Singh continued.

Representing himself, Perry claimed that with the sunlight blinding him when he was turning onto the road, he had no seen the cyclist.

“I should have taken more time in looking but the sun was coming down the hill and the cyclist was coming down the hill and I hit him.”

He also admitted to the court that he had no reason for not having taken out insurance.

Besides the £200 compensation he was ordered to pay Mt Whitmore, Perry was banned from driving for nine months, fined £335 and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £60 costs.

The Lutterworth Mail does not report whether the victim will be pursuing a civil claim for compensation against Mr Perry. Claims against uninsured drivers can be made to the Motor Insurers Bureau an insurance industry body set up to deal with such claims. Roughly £30 from each motor insurance policy sold in the UK goes to the MIB as a levy to cover claims against uninsured drivers. The usual first step is to establish the identity of the driver and to present evidence that the incident took place, both criteria should be satisfied by this court case.