A motorcyclist forced to have a toe amputated after he was involved in a crash with a bus in Hampshire has lost out in his £1 million damages claim.

Winchester man Karl Bridgen suffered serious left lower leg injuries when his Genata motorcycle crashed into a coach in The Broadway in 2019. 

The coach, driven by Russell Ayres, collided with the bike while doing a u-turn. The court record stated: “As the claimant approached the defendant's coach it remained stationary, so the claimant proceeded to ride past the coach along Broadway.

"As the claimant was level with the defendant's stationary coach, it started to pull away to complete a u-turn. The claimant rode his bike to the right to avoid a collision but the defendant kept turning right until it collided with the claimant on his motorbike. 

READ MORE: Brand new Sweet Station opens on Upper Brook Street

Daily Echo: Karl Bridgen's motorbike

“During the collision, the claimant's left foot became trapped between the top of the wheel and the wheel arch of the coach. The defendant's servant, agent or employee then moved his bus, without waiting for the emergency services to arrive and advise on the best way to free the claimant's foot, and this caused further injury to the claimant.”

In Mr Bridgen's witness statement, he said: “The bus driver got out of the bus and said 'I didn't see you', I do not remember any further conversation with him due to the pain I was in. He went back into the bus to reverse off my foot because it was trapped under the wheel arch, and I could not move it. I remember the pain being absolutely horrific and I passed out at that point.”

Mr Ayres' witness statement said: “The motorcyclist had undertaken a highly hazardous and dangerous manoeuvre. He had failed to take account of the fact that I had already started my manoeuvre and was halfway through it. He could not have noticed my indicator or the fact that my vehicle was moving around in a u-turn. I believe there was nothing else I could have done to avoid the accident which was solely the responsibility of Mr Bridgen.”

The court record added that Mr Bridgen, 33, of Walpole Road, Stanmore, suffered a severe fracture dislocation of the big toe which needed amputating. He was also in the process of reapplying to join the army, but was unable to do so because of his injuries. 

Barrister Andrew Ward, from Exchange Chambers, successfully represented coach company Bournemouth Transport Limited at a preliminary trial of liability in the County Court at Southampton.

The £1m claim was dismissed.

Mr Ward said: “It is pleasing to have knocked out a £1 million claim. Various points were put to the defendant’s driver under cross-examination about checking his mirrors that would have amounted to a counsel of perfection. That is not the test.

"The court accepted that the defendant’s driver drove with reasonable care and skill. The law requires nothing more.”