CYCLIST Martin Priestley has been awarded £13,000 compensation after a horrific crash which left him with serious injuries.
The dad-of-two was cycling home from a night shift when he was hit by a car in Watnall Road, Hucknall.
He was flung to the ground, sustaining soft tissue injuries to his head, neck, shoulder, knees and lower back.
The 57-year-old baker was off work for eight months.
He said: "I don't really remember a lot about what happened as I was knocked unconscious.
"I came round in the ambulance strapped to a board in a pretty bad way. I didn't really know where I was or what was happening. It was pretty scary."
Mr Priestley wasn't wearing a helmet, but did have a high-visibility jacket on. He said it was a bright morning at about 6.20am, so he didn't have his lights on.
The incident happened just months after Mr Priestley had a knee replacement operation – and only weeks before his partner Jane Cleaver, 40, gave birth to his second son.
Mr Priestley, of Hazel Meadows in Hucknall, added: "It was a very difficult time for me – especially with a new baby in the house.
"Fortunately my partner looked after me very well but it was still a struggle.
"I'd always been the main breadwinner and was responsible for providing for my family, so I really felt the financial pressure. I'm still taking painkillers to get through the day – I'm lucky to be alive."
Following the incident in March 2011, Mr Priestley contacted his union, the Bakers', Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU), who instructed Thompsons Solicitors to pursue a compensation claim.
The driver's insurers originally offered just £7,500.
Mr Priestley, dad to Freddy, seven, and Marty, three, added: "The compensation is lovely to have but obviously it doesn't make up for what happened. Health is much more important than money.
"I'm just grateful to be alive."
Susan Peters, at Thompsons, who represented Mr Priestley, said: "Martin's accident was entirely avoidable and had a detrimental impact on his life, yet the driver's insurers tried their utmost to dodge the real value of his injuries and losses."
BFAWU general secretary Ronnie Draper added: "While Martin's injuries were serious, we could very easily have been dealing with a fatality here."
Mr Priestley's compensation win comes following a number of cycling incidents in Nottingham. Last Wednesday a 35- year-old female cyclist was rushed to hospital after a collision with a Nottingham City Transport bus on High Road in Bulwell and, in July, 29-year-old cyclist Louise Wright, of Mapperley, died after a rush-hour collision with a lorry.
Hugh McClintock, of cycling campaign group Pedals, believes some incidents aren't taken seriously enough.
He said: "We would encourage anyone involved in any incidents, no matter how small, to report them to police."
Nottinghamshire County Council has put aside £20 million to make the county's roads safer. This will include new cycle routes.
Mr McClintock added: "We are looking forward to seeing these improvements implemented."
