£9M payout for bicycle hit and run victim

A teenager has been awarded £9 million compensation after he was knocked off his bicycle in a hit and run in June 2004.

Lee Geohagen, who was just 14 years old at the time, was cycling with his brother when he has hit by a Fiat Punto. Mr Geohagen had begun to ride across the road after going down a dropped curb when he was stuck. He had been previously riding on the pavement.

The accident left Mr Geohagen with head injuries and traumatic brain damage, leaving him considered incapable of managing his own affairs.

The driver of the vehicle was uninsured and fled on foot after the accident. Tyre marks had suggested that the Fiat was speeding and had already veered on the wrong side of the road when it hit the victim.

When the driver, Jose Rasgado, was tracked down he claimed that he had only been a passenger in the car, however he later pleaded guilty to driving whilst disqualified and without insurance.

He disappeared after the claim was made for damages so a payout was sought from the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB), the industry body that compensates victims of drivers who are not insured. It is believed the MIB will now aim to track down the driver to recover the damages from him.

If you would like further information about road traffic accident compensation please click here or call 0800 107 3000.

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