Case Study: £5 Million Settlement for a Paralysed Motorbike Racer

Rob Aylott

Overview

Osbornes Law recently secured a £5 million settlement for Cedric Bloch, a 33-year-old semi-professional motorbike racer who was left paralysed from the chest down after his front brakes failed during a qualifying session at Snetterton race track. The claim continues against three other defendants.

A career on the rise

Cedric, a London-based bakery owner, took up motorcycle racing only three years before the accident. He went on to win the Bemsee Rookie Championship and Most Promising Racer of the Year in his first year, followed by the Bemsee Clubman Championship. By the time of the crash he was competing in the Quattro Group British Supersport Championship on a Kawasaki run by his racing team.

The accident at Snetterton

On 4 September 2021, Cedric was racing at over 100mph during a Bennetts British Superbike Championship qualifying session when his front brakes failed without warning as he approached Hamilton curve. He told reporters:

“All of a sudden, just before Hamilton curve, there were just no brakes, zero front brake.”

He tried to jump from the bike to save himself, but his 180kg Kawasaki bounced off the race track wall and landed on top of him.

Extent of the injuries

Cedric sustained a T6 complete spinal cord injury (ASIA A), leaving him with permanent paraplegia. He also suffered:

• Multiple broken ribs, a fractured sternum and punctured lungs
• A fractured left tibia and left knee
• A severe right wrist injury requiring eight pins and a metal bar

Emergency surgery at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital lasted nine hours and involved reconstructing his mid-dorsal spine and draining his lungs. He was later transferred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for months of specialist spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

The cause: a missing brake caliper pin

Expert evidence obtained on Cedric’s behalf showed that the defendant’s employees had failed to fit a brake caliper pin to the front braking system. Without the pin, the front brake could not perform safely under the demands of high-speed racing.

The impact on Cedric and his family

Cedric lives with his partner Daria and their two young children. At the time of the accident, his son was just one year old. He told reporters:

“My son is only one year old and he made his first steps recently. Hearing about that was very, very hard.”

Friends and family launched a fundraising campaign to help cover the cost of specialist equipment and home adaptations while the claim continued.

Negotiating the claim

The defendant denied liability in full. Proceedings were issued and served, and both sides instructed engineering experts. Faced with the strength of the technical evidence on the brake failure, the matter settled before trial.

Settlement outcome

The claim settled for £5 million, the full value of the defendant’s public liability insurance indemnity. The settlement funds Cedric’s lifetime needs, including:

• A private care package
• Single-floor accessible accommodation
• A wheelchair-accessible vehicle
• Specialist wheelchairs, aids and rehabilitation equipment

The claim continues against three other defendants and is expected to recover further compensation.

Press coverage

Cedric’s case has been reported by Norfolk Live and Motorcycle News.

What a previous motorcycle accident client said about Rob

★★★★★

“The service and results I received from Robert Aylott and the team at Osbornes was exceptional. Experts in their field and total professionals from start to finish. In 2018 I was involved in a serious motorcycle accident and required surgery the other party denied liability and there were few witnesses. After an initial interview Robert assessed my case and advised they were confident in securing me substantial losses. This they did in a reasonably short timescale securing me a six figure sum well above my initial hopes.”

Need advice after a serious spinal injury?

Osbornes’ catastrophic injury team handles some of the most serious spinal cord injury claims in the UK. Settlements at this level fund a lifetime of care, accommodation, equipment and rehabilitation.

Rob Aylott, head of major trauma, led this claim.

To speak to our team for a confidential discussion about your case.

• Fill in our online enquiry form; or
• Call us on 020 4502 3816.