A Brisbane lawyer is warning road users about the dangers of being distracted on the roads to prevent road trauma ahead of the busy school holiday period.
Slater and Gordon Senior Associate Jason Monro said more people may be at risk of being involved in accidents due to an expected increase in local holiday makers on the roads in the coming months.
"Distraction is one of the main causes of accidents and just one moment of inattention can result in horrific injuries whether your are a driver, motorcyclist, pedestrian or cyclist," Mr Monro said.
"More people will be likely to holiday in Queensland this year taking road trips and locals have been opting to drive to avoid public transport due to the pandemic this year. With more people on the roads, we may see a spike in road accidents."
Albany Creek motorcyclist Henry Sun was hit by a car when the driver failed to give way to him while turning left into Pickering St from Wardell St at Enoggera in January this year. The impact flung him into the air over his bike, causing him to land about 10m away on the other side of the road.
The 29-year-old suffered an open fracture to his left leg, near his ankle and underwent emergency surgery to prevent amputation. He is receiving legal support from Slater and Gordon for a motor vehicle accident claim against the driver's insurer.
"I went up in air and I remember rolling and rolling. There were cars behind me. I remember trying to get up but I wasn't able to. I looked down at my leg and it was a complete L shape, with half of my leg sticking out to the side," Ms Sun said.
"The recovery has been hard. As an associate lecturer I'm not doing a lot of physical work but the campus is big with offices on one side and rooms on the other. Mentally, it's been tough not being able to ride again and being off work for several months hasn't helped. I felt a lot of guilt being injured with two kids under two and a house to look after. It has been a lot of pressure on my partner. She has been great but it hasn't been easy."
Mr Sun said he wanted to warn drivers and riders to take better care when merging lanes and to look out for each other.
"You might feel confident in your driving abilities but especially during this busier time on the roads you have to be careful. You can really ruin someone's life by causing significant injuries. As a motorbike rider, I was told to be extra careful and to be aware of my surroundings and look at drivers to see what their intent is but I was still hit," he said.
"I thought he was slowing down or stopping but he didn't and maybe he didn't see me. It's a real eye-opener because you take staying safe on the roads for granted until something like this happens to you."
Mr Monro said many people involved in accidents still did not know what entitlements were available to them.
"It's best to seek legal advice to understand your options and to know what you can claim in terms of medical costs, lost wages or a lump sum payment for pain and suffering you've experienced as a result of your injuries," he said.
