Lorry Driver Sued By Injured South Croydon Reveller

A lorry driver who drove into a drunken reveller is being sued under claims that he should have realised the reveller was drunk. A resident of South Croydon, Carl Heaven has filed a suit against Brian Williams and Containerlift Services claiming an "unlimited" amount of money in damages, having suffered multiple broken bones after he was hit by the back of a 44 tonne lorry.

Mr Heaven, a 32-year old plumber from South Croydon claims that his painful injuries prevented him from returning to work for more than seven months. Mr Williams, the plumber's legal team argued, should have realised that "given the time of night and their appearance", the plumber and his friend "were likely to be drunk and likely to behave unpredictably".

Mr. Heaven's solicitors contend that he should have "stopped completely or reduced his speed to a point where he was almost stationary", so he could observe the pair of revellers using his wing mirrors. The legal team also added that the trucker should have realised the probability that his rear wheels could have collided with Mr Heaven.

The 32-year-old plumber and his friend were both drunk in the High Street in Abingdon, Oxon, at about 2.45am on June 20, 2007, when the accident occurred.

An employee at the Essex-based Containerlift Services, Mr. Williams was at the time of the accident taking a left turn from Bridge Street into the High Street. According to the police statement, this is when he says he saw the revellers "larking around" in the middle of the road.

After "waving" at Mr Williams, the revellers moved on to the kerb on the left side of the road, as the driver drove past them. Mr Heaven's claim is that he was caught by the back wheels of the lorry and dragged "a significant distance" along the road. This caused him to break his left arm in three places, his left leg and right arm.

Having filed his personal injury claim on June 18 this year, Mr. Heaven could win damages worth thousands of pounds.

A date for the case to be heard has not yet been set. - 39468