A Durham man who was knocked unconscious outside his home by an under age driver has secured over £8,000 damages with the support of his trade union Unite and their personal injury specialists Thompsons.

Peter Ives, aged 60, was walking his dog outside his house when he was knocked down by a vehicle driven by a local 15 year old boy who didn’t have a driving licence and was not insured. It has also been suggested that he had been drinking. The boy fled the scene but was caught by police. The 21 year old passenger in the car was insured to drive the vehicle which belonged to his employer.

Hairline Fracture of the Skull

Mr Ives explains: “The car mounted the pavement outside my house and hit me; it crashed through a garden wall and into a parked car, with two people sat inside. I was knocked unconscious and was taken to University College hospital where they diagnosed a hairline fracture of the skull.”

“I’d recently had a knee replacement and was walking with the aid of a stick at the time. The accident meant that my wound was re-opened and I had to have more surgery. I also suffered cuts and bruises on my face, leg and shoulder. Since then, the boy has been prosecuted; he received a six month sentence in a young offenders’ institution plus 6 months training.”

Thompsons made a claim against the driver of the vehicle which was met by the RTA insurers, even though they had not actually insured the driver.

Davey Hall, Unite Regional Secretary said, “There are many thousands of accidents on the road each year that involve individuals who flout the law by failing to stop at the scene. This case was particularly distressing because the young lad was under age and uninsured. Fortunately, Peter Ives was a Unite member and was able to get the compensation he deserves for the injuries he suffered and the time he had to have off work. Furthermore, members like Peter Ives can rest assured that the union’s legal service also protects them if they are injured in non workplace accidents too, as this case highlights.”

Representing Peter Ives, Nicola Waugh from Thompsons Solicitors in Newcastle comments: “At the time of the accident, Peter Ives’ case was quite high profile. We’re relieved for him that it’s all over now. The money will help to cover his financial losses, because he had to have longer off work than he would have done following his knee replacement.”

This news story was also published by The Northern Echo.