Tour de France hopeful sues for £1m after being ‘car-doored'
James McLaughlin told a court he dreamt of competing in the Tour de France before his shoulder and elbow were struck when a car passenger opened her door directly into his path as he cycled in southeast London five years ago.
The cyclist, 34, who was described as 'supremely fit', rode for professional teams and had competed for Guernsey in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games.
He has claimed the incident left him with brain damage, leading to depression, memory loss, fatigue and post-traumatic stress disorder, conditions that have combined to destroy his chances of returning to high-level competition.
McLaughlin, who now relies on an emotional support dog, is suing the motorist's insurers for more than £1 million in compensation.
A hearing at Central London county court was told the cyclist had taken a short break from competition and was working as a courier when he was injured in 2020. A car door was opened across a bicycle lane in front of McLaughlin, the court was told, which threw him from the bicycle and resulted in serious injuries.
The insurers have admitted liability for the incident, but they have disputed whether McLaughlin suffered a brain injury as well as the amount in compensation he is claiming.
Winston Hunter KC, for the prosecution, told the court McLaughlin was plagued by problems as a result of his injuries, including poor concentration and memory, as well as anxiety and distress. A neuropsychologist who examined the cyclist considered he had suffered a concussion after his head was 'shaken around' in the crash.
Hunter conceded in court that the cyclist had suffered other road falls before the 2020 incident, but he argued there was no evidence that any previous incidents had caused lasting problems.
The court was told McLaughlin had achieved significant results in competitions, including finishing sixth, despite being injured, in the time trial at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. McLaughlin would have returned to top cycling, the barrister said, adding that the car door incident meant 'he has lost that cycling career'.
Lionel Stride, for the defence, challenged the claim that McLaughlin had a 'mild traumatic brain injury', noting that there was no mention of the cyclist suffering a blow to the head at the time of the crash.
'He came into contact with a car door at speed and was subsequently thrown off and hit the ground, with an orthopaedic injury to his right shoulder,' Stride told Judge Jane Evans-Gordon at a pre-trial hearing, adding: 'There was no mention of a blow to his head.'
McLaughlin arrived at court with his support dog, Barley, on a lead but the judge said she had no choice but to exclude the animal as the rules normally only allowed guide dogs for the blind in court.
'If it's an emotional support animal, they're not normally allowed into court, not least because they're not properly trained like guide dogs,' she explained to the cyclist's lawyer.
A full trial of the claim was originally scheduled for this year, but could be delayed while further neurological reports are obtained.
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