City to pay R2.1million for pothole accident
The eThekwini Municipality was instructed to pay cyclist, Ian Vowles, R2.1million in damages after an accident caused by a pothole six years ago.
SIX years after a cycling accident that left him hospitalised for more than a month, Ian Vowles, was notified that the Durban High Court had ordered the eThekwini Municipality to pay him R2.1million in damages recently.
Vowles, now 66, said he used to train every Tuesday and Thursday with a group of friends at 4.15am for a 50km cycle from Westville to La Lucia and back.
“That morning I hit a pot hole, with the front of my bike, in Kings Avenue. I went flying over the bike and was later told that I had fractured my skull and had frontal lobe damage.
“I was in St Augustine’s Hospital’s ICU for 15 days and was in the nero ward for a further nine days. I can’t remember the accident or being in ICU, so I think I was in a coma and then in an induced coma,” said Vowles.
He was then allowed to go home and began his rehab course. He said he was at home for eight months but could not drive.
“I had to be very low key and was taking medication during that time and I think being in my home surroundings was very positive for my recovery,” said Vowles.
He said he attended Headway-Natal for two months and received psychiatric care for 10 months.
He returned to his position as a marketing manager for a packaging company for eight months but was forced to take an early retirement (he was 61 at the time) as there was a continuous need to travel.
It was a pressurised position and he felt it was too difficult to continue.
“I had no expectations for the case in terms of money as the reason I opened up a case against the municipality was because I wanted the roads to be fixed and to ensure that something similar didn’t happen again to another cyclist or motorists,” said Vowles.
