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Former British champion Dean Downing receives five-figure sum in damages after hit and runDean Downing racing for Rapha Condor Sharp, Tour Series, Oxford, 2012 (copyright Simon MacMichael)

Former British champion Dean Downing receives five-figure sum in damages after hit and run

Driver responsible has never been identified
by Alex Bowden
Tue, Jan 31, 2017 11:54
7

Former British champion Dean Downing, 42, has received a five-figure sum in damages after he was run off the road by a van in July 2015. The driver was never traced but Downing was able to make a claim from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) which compensates victims of uninsured and/or untraceable drivers.

Downing was riding with training partner, Leigh Holmes, when they were overtaken by a traffic management van. As the vehicle was passing, it cut back in towards them to avoid a bollard in the middle of the road.

Holmes, who was leading, was hit, but managed to stay upright. Downing swerved to avoid the van, but in so doing lost control of his bike and veered into the bollard, subsequently hitting a lamppost as well.

He sustained damaged ligaments in his left knee. The van driver didn’t stop and has never been identified.

As a British Cycling member, Downing pursued his claim through law firm Leigh Day and received a five figure sum from MIB, a body funded by motor insurers.

He said: “British Cycling membership is an absolute must in my eyes. I have always had the Gold licence. Even though I don’t race any more, I still get out on my bike on the open roads. I also work in the cycling industry doing lots of varied roles. Being a member covers me as you never know what’s around the next corner.”

Andrew Bradley, head of the cycling team at Leigh Day, said: “We made every effort to trace the van responsible for Dean’s injuries but were unable to do. Fortunately, the MIB agreed to deal with the claim through the untraced drivers’ scheme.

“We’re just pleased to see Dean back on his bike on both Zwift and in the real world, and hope that he continues to inspire and coach this country's young cycling talent.”

The All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group (APPCG) opens an inquiry today in which it will investigate whether the justice system is failing cyclists and letting drivers off lightly for collisions.

The APPCG says cyclists and their families sometimes struggle to achieve justice from the incident itself, right through to the courts.

Dean Downing
Leigh Day
British Cycling
Motor Insurers' Bureau
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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7 comments

Avatar
tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
1 like

OK Dave!

 

Avatar
DaveStandard | 7 years ago
2 likes

Very happy to say I wrote the release and it came from the law firm - call the conspiracy off!

 

Avatar
dottigirl | 7 years ago
7 likes

I spy another pro-BC story. Very, very subtle though.

Avatar
dave atkinson replied to dottigirl | 7 years ago
8 likes

dottigirl wrote:

I spy another pro-BC story. Very, very subtle though.

Does make me laugh when people think there's some sort of complex agenda here that we're subtly pushing through concealed references and stuff. we have trouble enough organising a christmas party.

Avatar
tritecommentbot replied to dave atkinson | 7 years ago
6 likes

dave atkinson wrote:

dottigirl wrote:

I spy another pro-BC story. Very, very subtle though.

Does make me laugh when people think there's some sort of complex agenda here that we're subtly pushing through concealed references and stuff. we have trouble enough organising a christmas party.

 

 Clearly she doesn't mean you're complicit. You're not some big player that BC would come and make deals with. Why would you think she meant that. So bizarre. 

 

If it has to be spelt out - dotti means that they have knowingly hired a PR firm. A fact that road.cc has posted themselves, no? And that PR firms push stories out to the media as part of their campaign.

 

This story has tribal appeal. Even if you hate BC, you will still sympathise with their side of the story. No-one likes drivers who run over cyclists.

 

Actually thought she showed a bit of wit. Odd that you'd knock her for it. 

 

I'd be surprised if she was wrong actually, I bet we will see a steady stream of deflection from BC.

 

Avatar
dottigirl replied to tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
4 likes

unconstituted wrote:

If it has to be spelt out - dotti means that they have knowingly hired a PR firm. A fact that road.cc has posted themselves, no? And that PR firms push stories out to the media as part of their campaign.

...

I'd be surprised if she was wrong actually, I bet we will see a steady stream of deflection from BC.

Exactly this. I'm expecting a fair bit of sneakiness from BC's PR firm in providing positively-slanted 'news' to the media - I said as much at the time. Lo and behold, there's the Barker story (obvious) and now this (much more subtle, but the quote about the gold membership set my detector off).

Dave - sorry you took it the wrong way, no criticism of you and your colleagues' work at all.

Avatar
burtthebike replied to dottigirl | 7 years ago
0 likes

dottigirl wrote:

I spy another pro-BC story. Very, very subtle though.

I wonder if they'd be interested in the not  insubstantial sums I got from drivers who knocked me off, all due to the incomparable legal department of Cycling UK?

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