A horse rider who was involved in a road accident with a motorcycle is set to make a substantial compensation claim against the driver.
Michaela Devereux was riding her horse in the New Forest in 2006 when a motorcycle slid into her horse causing it to bolt.
Mrs Devereux suffered serious head injuries and permanent brain damage as a result of the collision, when she was thrown from the horse.
She was riding with her husband at the time of the accident, and claimed in court that the motorcyclist, who was carrying a pillion passenger, lost control of the bike and this was the cause of the accident.
The rider, Peter Haywood, denied this was the case and said that his bike did not actually make contact with the horse, but instead the horse bolted as he and the pillion passenger came off the bike.
The Winchester High Court judge disagreed with Mr Haywood, however, pointing out that the circumstances suggest he was breaking the speed limit at the time of the accident, and the evidence pointed to a collision occurring, contrary to his claims otherwise.
This has paved the way for Mrs Devereux to make a claim for substantial compensation from Mr Haywood’s insurance company for her personal injuries and related issues.
Neither party commented on the case, which has taken six years to reach this point.
