Injured cyclist seeks £18m. in damages

A MULTI-MILLION-POUND personal injury claim began in the Royal Court yesterday.

Cyclist Manny Helmot, who represented Guernsey at the 1998 Kuala Lumpar Commonwealth Games, suffered severe physical and brain injuries after he was struck by a car while out on a training ride on 18 November 1998.

His guardians, mother Rose Helmot and Ken Jordan, are claiming £18m. from the driver of the car, Dylan Simon, his insurer, Tradex, and the company's reinsurers.

Liability for the accident is not disputed and the company has offered to pay £5.3m. in compensation. The case is expected to last six weeks.

In his opening statement for the plaintiff, Advocate Gordon Dawes said it was rare for a case such as this to 'go the distance'. The court's role, he said, would be to assess the level of damages.

Advocate Dawes said Mr Helmot had still been undergoing major surgery as late as July 2006 as a result of the accident.

He had permanently lost the use of his right arm, suffered constant double vision, was registered partially blind and needed 24-hour care.

He would never be able to work - even in a sheltered environment - drive, or ride a bike.

Advocate Dawes said the plaintiff and the defendant agreed on some points and not on others but they were 'many millions apart' on the issue of pecuniary damages.

He said the defendant would argue that a psychotic illness that Mr Helmot suffered from was the result of him being treated with a certain drug for a period prolonged enough to amount to medical negligence.

Mr Simon was banned from driving and fined after he was convicted of dangerous driving.

Neither Mr Helmot nor Mr Simon was in court.

The defence will open its case today.