Oksana was cycling home from work one afternoon on a quiet rural road outside Galway. The road had no cycle lane—just grass verges and the main tarmac. The weather was clear and visibility was good. She was wearing high-visibility clothing and had lights on her bike. Without warning, a car came up behind her at speed and struck her rear wheel. The impact threw her forward onto the road. She landed badly, suffering a broken collarbone, several fractured ribs, and significant cuts and bruising.
The driver stopped and admitted they had been looking at their mobile phone when they hit her. Witnesses confirmed this, and the police attended the scene. Oksana was taken to hospital by ambulance. Her injuries meant she couldn't work for several months, and physiotherapy continued for over a year afterwards. The physical pain was one thing—the anxiety about cycling again, the medical bills, the lost income—it all added up.
When Oksana instructed a solicitor, liability was straightforward. The driver had been using their phone while driving and had failed to see her, despite her being clearly visible on a sunny afternoon. The case established that even though there was no cycle lane, the driver had a duty of care to Oksana as a vulnerable road user, and they breached that duty through their distraction. The settlement covered her medical expenses, lost wages during recovery, ongoing physiotherapy costs, and compensation for her pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.