A chauffeur left “one inch from death” after being hit by a lorry and dragged along the road outside a London hotel is suing the haulage firm.
Anthony Vidal, 52, was waiting to get into his Mercedes outside the five-star Bulgari Hotel in Kensington when he was clipped by an HGV as he opened his door. Mr Vidal claims he was crushed and “ground” against the side of his car, then dragged along the road and left face down on the Tarmac.
He says he suffered serious injuries to his ribs, pelvis and chest in the incident, on November 20 last year.
The father of one has not driven since and fears he may never work again. He is now suing haulage firm Edward Rawlings (Hook) Limited for damages.
He said: “I was one inch away from death, I am sure. It has changed my life completely. It was horrible.”
Mr Vidal, who lives in Borehamwood with his wife Evangeline and his eight-year-old daughter, spent 10 days at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. He now requires physiotherapy sessions every week.
He said: “My wife has had to give up work to look after me and my daughter was shaken up. Doctors told me I will have problems for the rest of my life.” The lorry driver was found guilty of careless driving at Bexley magistrates’ court and fined £440. Mr Vidal has instructed the Fieldfisher law firm to pursue a civil claim for negligence against the haulier. He has received a small payment from his insurance company to cover household bills while the civil action is decided.
His solicitor, Jill Greenfield, said: “Mr Vidal urgently needs physiotherapy to get him back on his feet. We had to fight hard to get the interim payment, which has helped and we’ll work to get him the ongoing care he deserves.”
A Rawlings spokeswoman said: “The safety of those affected by our operations is of primary concern to us and we accept responsibility for the incident. As a result, Mr Vidal is receiving medical treatment for his injuries and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.”
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