Cyclist who was thrown from bike by cycle-lane divider launches claim against London borough

Greg Simmons, 36, was moving around a bus in a cycle lane in Edmonton, North London, in February last year when his wheel struck the thick plastic lane divider and he was catapulted into the road.

Most of the dividers along the cycle lane had poles - known as safety wands - but the one Simmons hit did not.

It was also painted the same colour as the road, which made it "almost impossible to spot", he has said.

He went to A&E to be treated for injuries to his chin and knee when doctors discovered he had broken his elbows and suffered a hairline fracture of the jaw.

Simmons, a screenwriter from Edmonton, is still unable to straighten his left arm a year on from the accident.

He is now taking legal action against the London borough through personal injury specialists Osbornes Law.

Megan Lambert, a specialist personal injury lawyer from Osbornes Law, said: “My client suffered serious injuries through no fault of his own because of a safety measure that the council installed.

"He has suffered considerable harm and distress, which has been compounded by the council denying liability. I would urge them to reconsider their position and settle this matter as soon as possible.”

Simmons said: "The council say they aren’t responsible, despite installing the large piece of plastic in a cycle lane that appears to serve no purpose apart from be a hazard.

"The divider is so dangerous without a wand. It's the same colour as the road and has no reflectors, making it almost impossible to spot when travelling at speed, especially when coupled with other dividers that do have wands. The safety measures are really inconsistent. They need to change that to stop this happening to someone else.”

Enfield Council said it could not comment on the claim.

Adam Carey