Compensation Won for Fuel Spillage Death

In one of the first cases of its kind the family of a motor cyclist killed after skidding on a diesel spillage on a country road received an award of £110,000 in compensation in a landmark ruling which will open the doors for others to claim.

The father of two lost control of his motorbike after riding through a large patch of spilled fuel on the road and collided with oncoming traffic. His needless death was blamed on an unknown driver who carelessly leaked diesel onto the road surface.

Because there was no way to determine who was responsible for the spillage that caused the fatal accident the family applied, with the help of their solicitor, to the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) for compensation. The MIB, which was set up to compensate accident victims of untraced or uninsured drivers, made the award because the accident was caused by the negligence of an untraced driver and could have been preventable.

Diesel spilled on the road is extremely slippery and almost impossible to see especially when it is dark or the road is wet. Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable and more likely to be seriously or fatally injured if they loose control on slippery road surfaces but drivers of cars and cyclists can also make a claim if they suffer injury after skidding on a spillage.

Victims who have been injured, or the families of those killed in similar accidents should be aware that they too may be able to make a successful claim for compensation. Time limits start from the date of the accident and claimants then have three years from that date to lodge an application with the Motor Insurers Bureau.

Mon, 19 May 2008 15:49:27 +0100