We are partnering with the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes
We are proud to announce that we will be partnering with the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes in supporting riders and volunteers with legal services in the event of an accident.
Members of NABB transport blood, platelets, samples, surgical instruments, human donor milk and many other clinical products across the UK and Ireland.
NABB has 32 member groups throughout the country plus 3 affiliate groups in Ireland. All of them are staffed by men and women who are unpaid volunteers, providing the service completely free to the NHS.
NABB riders are particularly vulnerable road users, as whereas most of us would be inclined to keep our bikes in the garage throughout the night, or when the weather turns, these riders might be called out to deliver life-saving supplies, which puts them at much greater risk of harm.
We’ll be supporting NABB with their fundraising activities as often as we can. So keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for details of how you could help.
- Published in Sorrymate latest news and legal advice
Third party pulls out on 18 year old riding a 125
Our client was just under 18 at time of collision. Riding normally when Third Party pull out in front however this was disputed as Third Party states our client was overtaking stationary traffic.
Having taken instructions we disagreed with the allegations deciding to back our client (assisted by his litigation friend, Mum).
We obtained independent evidence of the damage to the bike (KTM Duke125) and was found to be beyond economical repair so this value was added to the claim along with some replacement hire bike costs and other expenses including getting an independent report on the nasty injuries sustained.
Our experience paid off for the client as being bikers we understood the circumstances of the incident and where the Third Party was wrong in their allegations surrounding the circumstances and who was at fault. After a period of negotiation, where we maintained our solid and robust position we secured an admission of fault from the Third Party insurers swiftly followed by an interim payment for the KTM 125 Duke and shortly after a payment for the other losses including the personal injury.
Sorrymate doing what it does best, everyday. Taking on cases that insurers don’t want to pay and winning.
- Published in Case Study
We raised over £15,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance
Yesterday we had the pleasure of presenting the Yorkshire Air Ambulance with a cheque for “£15,020.11” which was raised from the YAA race bike raffle.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity that relies heavily on the generosity of the public and organisations to keep the service active. It received no government or NHS funding and so this donation will be vital in keeping the amazing work going.
Thank you to each and every one of you who bought a raffle ticket. The money raised will help keep the bird in the sky.
- Published in Sorrymate latest news and legal advice
Sorrymate’s Fergus Dalgarno winning compensation in excess of £5 million
Fergus wins over £5 million in motorcycle accident compensation for our client
The specialist motorcycle accident team at Sorrymate.com have started the year winning damages in excess of £5 million for one of our clients who was unfortunately very badly hurt in a motorbike accident that wasn’t his fault.
Fergus Dalgarno has been working on this case for years and has given this client amazing support from his initial accident right through to the settlement of his case.
Our client suffered catastrophic injuries in the bike accident, and Fergus has been there daily to assist the client and his wife with ongoing issues regarding care, advice on medical treatments, obtaining interim damages payments, arranging for modifications to their home and finally arranging a settlement for them that enables them to continue their lives as comfortably as possible given the ongoing care this client now needs.
Fergus has been on hand throughout, calling and updating to see how the client was recovering, listening to worries and dealing with issues to help the client deal as much as possible with how his life had changed as a result of the accident.
The work was done on a no win no fee basis, which meant that the client did not have to pay for our services throughout this lengthy case, significantly reducing the stress that dealing with the aftermath of an accident can cause. Sorrymate.com arranged for medical experts to assist our client’s rehabilitation and liaised with them to obtain medical reports necessary to demonstrate to the defendant insurers the extent of our client’s injuries and the impact they had had on his life and that of his family. We instructed a leading counsel to represent our client at the various hearings on the route to settlement and ensured that the outcome we obtained was the best possible outcome that could have been obtained for our client. We always strive to achieve maximum compensation settlements for our clients, and will always take whatever steps are needed to achieve this.
This personal interest in our clients is what makes our team so different from other law firms. As bikers ourselves, the team are well aware of the dangers of being out on the road, how vulnerable bikers can be and the type of injuries that can be sustained as a result of an accident.
- Published in Case Study
That’s a wrap!
What an incredible 10 days at Motorcycle Live.
Thank you to everyone who entered the Yorkshire Air Ambulance raffle. Finally, after 12 months of waiting, James Whitham drew the winners from the Sorrymate stand at Motorcycle Live yesterday.
Congratulations to the winners
👉 Winner of the YAA Race Bike – ticket no. 08585 Chris Plowman
👉 Winner of the signed LS2 helmet – ticket no. 1805 Mr Hart
👉 Winner of Dean Harrison race leathers – ticket no. 6414 Robert Popovici
👉 Winner of the track day – ticket no. 1091 Saphron Case
Thank you to everyone who has supported the raffle over the last 12 months we have raised over £12,000! Final figures to be confirmed.
Special mention to those who donated prizes and parts to make this amazing raffle possible.
Abba Motorcycle Equipment for the Skylift.
Race bikebitz gave us the Samco Hoses.
HEL donated the yellow brake lines.
Bike-It for consumables (handlebar, levers etc).
BikeTek for the Tyre Warmers.
Renthal for their Grips.
SBS for the brake pads.
Putoline for their lubrication.
Muc-Off cleaning & pressure Washer
Scorpion exhausts
R&G
Spada (Dean Harrison’s TT Leathers)
Into Gear
Track Bike Hire
Hifiber Race Body Work
Chris Smith
Nikki Kennedy, engine builder
Jeremy Brambles
Steve Metcalf
Sugar
Rob Scott
- Published in Motorcycle News, Sorrymate latest news and legal advice
The final swan song for MCE
The final swan song for MCE (as was but now GR123 in administration).
Ever since the announcement was made that MCE insurance was going into administration, I have been working with several clients to sort out the fallout. Within the last few days, I closed my last file. If anyone out there is still having issues, do give me a shout.
This was interesting to me as a lawyer, and you might be interested as well.
SM (a MAG member) came to me as he had received notice from the Court that a person whose bike had been knocked over by his bike had made a claim and he now had a Court Judgment against him of nearly £20,000.00. Understandably time to panic. To be fair, he acted right away, firstly by applying to the Court to set the Judgment aside and secondly, by contacting Sorrymate.
What had happened is that MCE told the solicitors who were pursuing payment of the £20,000.00 to send all the Court papers to them and they would deal. The Court papers were sent and not dealt with and so Judgment was entered. The first SM knew about anything since he reported the matter months before, was the Judgment.
The key was to get the solicitors who act for the administrators to take over the application and to get MCE (as was) on record as the Defendant and SM taken off. This would seem simple, but it took at least 20 phone calls and quite a few emails to persuade the solicitors to get on board and deal. Perseverance was the key. That and a few cups of tea whilst sitting on hold. The secretary at the solicitors for MCE got to the point of actually recognising my voice when I called. I have to say that she was lovely every time.
The day for the hearing of the application arrived and the Judgment was set aside, MCE (as was) became the Defendant so all is well that ends well.
As SM put it “Just wanted to say again a big Thank You for all your help with the Court Hearing. We wouldn’t have had a clue on how to resolve this matter without your assistance.
Are you sure we can’t pay you for your time?
Is there a good address we can send a token of our appreciation to?
Once again, Many thanks. “
I thought a donation to Air Ambulance would hit the spot.
So, it would seem, the saga of MCE is concluding. Legally quite interesting and nice to give something back. Because of my opinion of MCE I did all the work for free. Sometimes it’s just about doing the right thing.
- Published in Motorcycle News, Sorrymate latest news and legal advice
A new report shows that motorcycle fatalities have fallen
A new report shows that motorcycle fatalities have fallen
Newly published Department for Transport (DFT) statistics show an interesting trend regarding fatalities. In 2021 322 riders lost their lives in collisions involving another vehicle. The only year with lower numbers is 2020 with 299.
However where no other vehicle was involved, the number rises to 341, which is again on of the lowest recorded since 2012.
Tony Campbell, CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA), said: “It is encouraging to see the significant decline in motorcycle-related fatalities.”
He said the MCIA believe there are several reasons behind the improvement. They include steps forward with protective kit and electronics which are making bikes both easier and safer to ride. In addition, he believes the greater numbers of bikes, e-scooters and bicycles on the roads are causing drivers to be more on the alert.
“Overall, it is positive to see fewer riders killed on motorcycles,” he said. “But at the same time, any death in the riding community is one too many. The MCIA will continue to encourage riders through the Elite Rider Initiative to take advantage of Post Test Rider Training and we will continue to push the Government to think differently about the road safety of the biking community.”
The statistics generally indicate there are an increasing number of motorcycles and scooters on the roads, are other road users becoming more aware of motorcycles? Is rising costs of fuel and commuting pushing up two wheeled road users? We’d like to hear from you. You can email your thoughts to enquiry@sorrymate.com.
At Sorrymate we encourage riders to take up BikeSafe at any point in your riding lifetime, either those recently qualified or the veterans that may just want a refresher.
Although statistics show a decrease in fatalities accidents are still happening and people are sustaining life-changing injuries. As bikers, we know how vulnerable riders are on the roads and we want to help you. If you are unfortunately involved in an accident and want legal advice, call us on 0800 6300 301.
- Published in Biker Advice, Motorcycle News, Sorrymate latest news and legal advice
Motorcyclist seriously injured in Isle of Man
Case summary
When you go on holiday to the Isle of Man to watch the TT the last thing you expect is to be carted off to Nobles Hospital by Air Ambulance because someone else doesn’t know what they are doing.
That’s exactly what happened to our client. He contacted Sorrymate and Fergus took on the case.
Interesting (at least lawyers might find it interesting) is the fact that the Isle of man has a separate legal system so the first hurdle was making sure we could look after him.
Once that was sorted, months of rehabilitation, all paid for by the insurance company of the other party, commenced and ultimately we managed to recover a gross settlement of £155,000.00.
He is now back on a bike and has also returned to the Isle of Man on more than one occasion.
Want Sorrymate to represent you?
If you want advice from specialist biker-lawyers fill out the contact form and we will get in touch at a time that is suitable for you.
Alternatively you can call 0800 6300 301.
- Published in Case Study
Motorcyclist badly injured in accident
Case summary
We recently settled a claim on behalf of a motorcyclist badly injured in an accident.
She was riding along a country lane without a care in the world. She was passing the entrance to a private school when a car driver (in the middle of an argument with his passenger) pulled out of the driveway straight into her.
She broke both wrists, and had other minor injuries. Breaking both wrists has a serious impact on the ability to do anything, and she was reliant on friends and family for a while. She was unable to work, and as a self employed photographer who had just begun to pick up work post-pandemic, this was a real blow.
Added to all that stress, the driver of the car refused initially to accept that the accident was his fault! We refused to take “no” for an answer, though, and eventually managed to get a full settlement for the injuries, loss of earnings and other expenses.
Most importantly, the client is back on a ‘bike and enjoying her riding again.
Want Sorrymate to represent you?
If you want advice from specialist biker-lawyers fill out the contact form and we will get in touch at a time that is suitable for you.
Alternatively you can call 0800 6300 301.
- Published in Case Study
Road users still unaware of Highway Code changes
Over six months ago the Department For Transport (DfT) made significant changes to the Highway Code. One of the most noticeable changes was made to the hierarchy of road users to increase the safety of those who are most vulnerable on the roads.
Although these changes have been made a hard copy of the new Highway code has only just been updated.
The Institute for Advanced Motorists (IAM) RoadSmart has reported that one in five motorists were unaware of the latest changes to the code. This makes up more than 7 million out of the 35.9 million drivers in the UK. Additionally, while 80 per cent of the survey respondents believe the changes to the Highway Code to be important, over half admitted they cannot remember the last time they referred to the code.
Cycling UK and others have voiced concerns that there has been nowhere near enough communication from the DfT. This is confirmed by the 51 per cent of drivers who believe the government has not done a good job communicating the updates.
Last year there were over 100,000 reported casualties on the UK’s roads, 1,560 of which were fatal and a further 27,300 of which were serious injuries. Based on these statistics more needs to be done to make UK roads safer. IAM RoadSmart director Neil Greig thinks the changes to the Highway Code pose “a serious safety risk which could actually see the updates code causing more conflict on our roads rather than less.”
We want to hear from you, have you seen changes in road users since the new code came into place? Email in your thoughts to enquiry@sorrymate.com.
If you have suffered injury whilst out on two wheels let us know. We may be able to help and claim back any losses.
- Published in Motorcycle News, Sorrymate latest news and legal advice
