Karl Leonard was running on a footpath shared with cyclists near Swords, Co Dublin, when an e-bike “came speeding around the corner” knocking him to the ground in a catastrophic collision.
His injuries – for a time it looked like he might lose his foot – were so extensive that a nine-hour operation was required.
The e-bike was being driven by Stephen Dunne and with the Garda taking no action, Leonard, a 48-year-old professional dog walker felt he had no option but to initiate a criminal court case.
It’s an unusual step but one that paid off when Dunne, who the court heard was genuinely remorseful, was fined €250 after pleading guilty to careless driving.
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Leonard successfully claimed the specifications of Dunne’s e-bike, including having a 750W brushless motor and maximum speed of 20-25km/h, made it an MPV.
The significance of being a vehicle or MPV means the user is required to be insured.
Leonard will now pursue a claim against the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) arguing that as Dunne was not insured while driving the powerful e-bike, the incident should be covered by the MIBI which compensates in the case of uninsured drivers involved in accidents.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and Suzanne Brennan.
