A firefighter and snowboarding enthusiast, who suffered severe injuries in a cycling incident after being hit by a van, has secured £48,000 in compensation with the support of Thompsons Solicitors and his trade union, the FBU.

The 36-year-old firefighter from Wigan was cycling along Atherton Road in Hindley, Wigan in June 2021, when he was hit by a van travelling in the opposite direction.

The impact of the collision knocked him off his bike, causing him to go over the bonnet of the van before he landed on the ground.

The FBU member, who was taken to Wigan Royal Infirmary Hospital, suffered a fracture to his right knee and a soft tissue injury to his right ankle.

The incident forced the man off work for four and a half months and left him unable to do the things he enjoyed, including snowboarding and cycling.

His recovery programme involved several physical treatments that focussed on his knee injury. These consisted of initial avoidance of weight bearing on the right leg for around six weeks using a cricket splint and then a brace, followed by physiotherapy, home exercises and rehabilitation.

Two years on from the incident, his physical injuries have healed well, meaning he can participate fully in snowboarding and cycling, but he still experiences anxiety riding his bike to and from work.

He said: “The incident has made me feel more nervous about going out and about on my bike. I’m now a lot more wary about vehicles on the road.

“However, Thompsons has been excellent throughout this whole ordeal. My solicitor, Helen, kept me well-informed on developments and made everything simple and easy for me to understand. I can’t thank her enough.”

Helen Templeton, a senior lawyer at Thompsons’ Liverpool office, said: “This has been a very distressing episode for our client, in terms of the physical injuries he sustained and the ongoing anxiety he experiences going back onto the roads.

"He still encounters some minor discomfort in his knee, but the long-term outlook is optimistic in terms of his physical health.

“I'm pleased that we could secure a positive outcome for him so he can move on with his life.”

Mark Rowe, FBU national officer, added: “Members of our union know that they will never have to fight their corner alone when facing injustice or hardship. We are pleased that Thompsons has secured compensation for our member in the wake of this distressing incident. The FBU wishes him the best for his continued recovery.”