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Spectator who sustained brain injury in crash at London Nocturne wins compensation

Alice Carvill-White was hit by rider after marshal at event opened designated crossing point to let spectators across the course

A woman who sustained a brain injury after she was hit by a racing cyclist as she crossed the road while attending the London Nocturne as a spectator three years ago has won compensation from the company that provided marshals for the event.

Alice Carvill-White, from New Cross, south east London, was knocked unconscious when the rider hit her after a marshal opened a gate to allow people to get from one side of the course to the other at a designated crossing point, reports London News Online.

The 31 year old, who attended the June 2017 event with her partner William Hurd, spent four days in the Royal London Hospital, the first of which in intensive care, with injuries including a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.

She has now received an undisclosed out-of-court settlement from Corvus Security Ltd, which provided personnel to control the crossings at the event.

She said: “I don’t remember much for 24 hours after being knocked unconscious. I just remember coming round in hospital and being told about what happened and my injuries.

“Even with everything the medical staff did for me the last few years have been incredibly difficult.

“Me and William were always a 50-50 partnership but after coming home from hospital I relied on him so much.

“The headaches were constant; I was unable to walk unaided and spent most of my time either in bed or on the sofa as I was that tired.”

Tests subsequently established that she had sustained permanent damage to her brain.

“When I found out I had permanent brain damage I left the consultation and just started crying.

“My cognitive symptoms are improving but I still suffer from fatigue and can’t always find the words to what I want to say. This means people don’t always understand me which knocks my confidence.

“I try to put on a brave face over what happened but it’s turned my life upside down. I’m determined to try and get as much as my old life back as possible but I just hope people realise the hurt and damage they can cause by lapses in safety.”

Irwin Mitchell solicitor Natasha Fairs, who represented her, said: “The extremely serious injuries Alice suffered through no fault of her own have had a profound effect on her life.

“Her case is a stark reminder of not only how injuries can continue to affect people long after the physical signs have disappeared but also of the need for safety at public events to be upheld at all times.

“While Alice has made great progress in her recovery she still faces many challenges ahead.

“It’s vital that lessons are learned from her case to prevent others suffering like Alice has,” she added.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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RoubaixCube | 3 years ago
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since 2017.... Sounds like they fought her every step of the way. Im glad shes got her compensation and hopefully it will be enough to get her life back on track or keep future medical bills at bay.

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DrG82 replied to RoubaixCube | 3 years ago
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I think this is a fairly normal time scale from my recent experience chasing a personal injury claim. The doctor who wrote the medical report and the solicitor put a two year time scale on the injuries at which point they would consider if they were fully healed or if there were continuing issues as once a claim value is agreed it's binding. I imagine it's pretty difficult to put a price on brain injuries like this lady has.

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ChrisB200SX replied to DrG82 | 3 years ago
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DrG82 wrote:

I think this is a fairly normal time scale from my recent experience chasing a personal injury claim. The doctor who wrote the medical report and the solicitor put a two year time scale on the injuries at which point they would consider if they were fully healed or if there were continuing issues as once a claim value is agreed it's binding. I imagine it's pretty difficult to put a price on brain injuries like this lady has.

As someone who has experience of battling an insurance company for a claim due to a signficant/life-changing injury. 2 years is normal, well over 3 years is not. Mine went on for over 4 years I think, it was fought all the way, until the insurance company buckled the afternoon before we were due in Court.

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