Overview

• James McLaughlin, a former Commonwealth Games cyclist and Tour de France hopeful, suffered shoulder and elbow fractures and claims a mild traumatic brain injury when a car passenger opened a door into his path in May 2020.
• Motor insurers have admitted liability for the dooring incident but are contesting the existence of a brain injury and the £1 million compensation he seeks for lost earnings.
• At a pre-trial hearing, Judge Jane Evans-Gordon agreed to admit fresh neurological evidence on his alleged brain injury, deeming it central to his loss-of-earnings claim.
• Medical experts say the new reports could increase McLaughlin’s projected compensation by up to £400,000, prompting a postponement of the full trial.
• Cycling UK data shows at least 500 cyclists are injured in dooring incidents each year in Britain, highlighting persistent road safety risks.