I read in the Journal Live that a drunk man has been struck by a bus and has recently been awarded compensation. Stephen Lightfoot suffered horrendous injuries, namely a fractured skull and a brain haemorrhage, and now requires 24-hour care for the rest of his life, after being hit by a bus when crossing the road. As CCTV footage has shown, the bus driver was caught reading a timetable when he was supposed to be concentrating on his driving. As such he was found to have been negligent and was clearly not driving with due care and attention when he struck Mr Lightfoot. However, Mr Lightfoot only received 60% of the compensation he was entitled to because the accident was partly his fault due to the fact that he was drunken and behaving irrationally at the time of the accident.
The judge who oversaw the case said that Mr Lightfoot was partly responsible for his injuries because he was drunk and should not have therefore been trying to get the attention of a bus by standing in the middle of a poorly lit road. Although the bus driver should have been giving the road his full attention and not reading a timetable, equally, Mr Lightfoot should not have been in a dark road trying to hail a bus; something he probably would not have done had he have been sober. Yes, the bus driver should have been checking for dangers, checking his speed, his mirrors, and concentrating on the road, but Mr Lightfoot should also not have been in the road.
The CCTV footage revealed that the bus driver had turned his cabin light on to read the map which he put on his lap. As you can imagine, this is damning footage which showed that the bus driver was not looking at the road. Road users owe pedestrians a duty of care to ensure their safety. That is, they must take steps to keep a look out at all times for dangers. If you have been involved in a collision with a vehicle whilst a pedestrian you too may be entitled to compensation where the driver of that vehicle was not paying you the due care and attention you are entitled to. It is therefore best that you firstly get yourself checked out at a hospital, or by your GP, and then contact a professional quality personal injury lawyer who can advise you on your potential claim. As this case shows, even if you under the influence of alcohol and your behaviour might not have been what it would be if you were sober, you may still be entitled to compensation.
