Injured cyclist sues London council after breaking both elbows and jaw when hitting bike lane barrier – and says he ‘could have been killed’
An injured cyclist has sued the City of London, saying he ‘could have died’ in the collision, after breaking both his elbows and jaw when he crashed into a cycle lane barrier.
Greg Simmons, 36, was driving around a bus in the cycle lane in Edmonton, north London, when he hit a plastic lane divider and was thrown from his bike in February last year.
His lawyers said most dividers are required to have bollards warning cyclists of road safety measures, but the bollards Mr Simmons crashed into on Hertford Road did not.
Mr Simmons, a screenwriter from Edmonton, is still unable to straighten his left arm a year after the accident and is now taking legal action against Enfield Council through Osborne Law.
Recalling the moment he was thrown off his bike, he said: ‘I looked up to pass a bus and a minute later I was flying through the air over my handlebars.
“It was only a second but it felt like it would last ages and I remember thinking ‘this isn’t going to be good’.”
‘I had hit a large piece of plastic on the edge of the cycle lane, it had no reason to be there.
‘The council said it was ‘not at fault’ as it didn’t need to have a pole in it, so why would it be there as it is extremely dangerous for cyclists?
Mr Simmons, pictured while out for a walk, was thrown from his bike after crashing into the barrier separating the cycle lane in February last year.
The 36-year-old screenwriter from Edmonton, north London, crashed into a cycle lane divider without bollards, his lawyers said
Mr. Simmons, seen on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, broke both his elbows and jaw in the accident
‘I’m lucky there was no traffic because I could have died.’
Mr Simmons said this type of accident ‘could happen to someone who is not so lucky’.
He added: ‘The separatist is very dangerous without a scepter. It is the same color as the road and has no reflectors, making it almost impossible to spot when traveling fast, especially when combined with other dividers that have bars.’
‘Security measures are really inconsistent. They need to change this to prevent this from happening to anyone else.’
Specialist personal injury solicitor Megan Lambert, of Osborne Law, said: ‘My client suffered serious injuries through no fault of his own as a result of a safety measure taken by the council.
‘He has been subjected to very serious harm and distress and this has been compounded by the council’s denial of responsibility.
‘I urge them to reconsider their position and resolve this matter as quickly as possible.’
An Enfield Council spokesman said: ‘We are unable to comment at this time as the cyclist has taken legal action against Enfield Council.’
Richard Lander sues Croydon Council after breaking ankle following crash involving road ‘safety measure’
Picture: Doctors fitted metal plates to Mr Lander’s ankle, but the father says he is still in pain and doesn’t know when he will be able to cycle again
A 63-year-old father of two also crashed his bike after colliding with a ‘safety precaution’ on a similar black road.
Richard Lander was cycling on a busy road in Croydon, south London, when he left the cycle lane to overtake a stopped bus at around 4.45pm on 3 November 2023.
Mr Lander said he did not see the black bottom of the divider on Brighton Road and was thrown over the handlebars, hitting the ground so hard he broke his wrist.
After doctors put a metal plate in his arm, the IT project manager said he was still in constant pain and didn’t know if he would be able to ride a bike again.
He has since complained to Croydon Council about road safety measures and instructed lawyers to take legal action to highlight the issue and get the council to make changes.
