Compensation of £4million has been awarded to a tennis coach who was left paralysed after being involved in a hit and run accident in 2009.
Patrice Gougam, now 55, who was also a cycling enthusiast, was thrown from his bike when it was struck by a Land Rover on the Great North Road between Barnet and Potters Bar in 2009. The Land Rover driver Michael Elliott, now 66, should not have been at the wheel at the time of the accident as he was being treated for glaucoma and cataracts at the time,
Mr Gougam was in a coma for three weeks and at the National Hospital for Neurosurgery and Neurology in Bloomsbury for six months, receiving further care at two specialist units, totalling 21 months' treatment in all. He still requires round-the-clock care, is fed through a tube and uses a wheelchair.
When head tennis coach at Enfield Chase Tennis Club, Mr Gougam, of High Barnet, had mixed with top players including Martina Hingis.
Retired Elliott, of Potters Bar, was jailed for eight months by St Albans crown court after admitting dangerous driving. He claimed he had not seen the cyclist.
If you have been injured in an accident through no fault of your own call us on 0800 612 7445 to speak to a personal injury expert. We can help you make a compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis - you will keep 100% of any compensation awarded.