A mum-of-one who was thrown from her bike after being hit by a BMW said she has been "forced to abandon" her business dreams after suffering serious injuries.
Lauren Varley, from Blaxton, South Yorkshire, was riding her bike back home after feeding her horses on August 11, 2022, when she was hit by a BMW in Bank End Road in Doncaster.
Lauren, 37, was thrown from her bike and landed in a ditch. After passers-by helped her, she was rushed to hospital where she spent ten days undergoing several operations.
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She suffered a catalogue of injuries, including a fractured spine, a broken right leg and ankle and degloving injuries which saw skin ripped from her ankle and elbow.
Speaking to Yorkshire Live, Lauren said: "It was a gorgeous sunny day and perfect conditions. On the way home, three cars had overtaken me with no problem and then I remember hearing a car thinking - that’s loud - then the next thing I knew I was hit from behind. My next memory is being laid out in the ditch looking up and shouting for help.
"The driver had stopped quite far down the road but didn’t come over. I was on my back thinking how I could drag myself out of the ditch as I was petrified no one could see me and I’d be left there. Then some people came and called the emergency services.
"I started losing a lot of blood. The pain was getting worse and it felt like an age until the emergency services arrived. All I remember was the lights of the ambulance. I’d passed out."
She added: "It was only when I came round in hospital did the extent of my injuries become apparent. The last few months and trying to come to terms with both the physical and mental trauma of everything has been difficult.”
Lauren says her rehabilitation has now halted her plans to launch her own horse riding business. She says that she continues to have flashbacks from the incident.
“Life before the accident was good,” she explained. “I’ve always loved horses and horse riding and was about to turn my passion into launching my livery business. However, all that changed in a few seconds.
"I went from having all these plans and being outgoing and sociable to someone who was reliant on others for help. I still have flashbacks to the collision and am a lot more nervous when going out. Even things like the school run and going out at weekends with my daughter are a struggle."
Following the crash, the mum-of-one instructed expert serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate and help her access the specialist therapies and rehabilitation she requires.
It comes after the driver’s insurance company admitted liability for the crash. Irwin Mitchell has secured Lauren a five-figure interim payment to help fund her ongoing rehabilitation and compensate for loss of earnings.
Grace Todd, the serious injury expert at Irwin Mitchell representing Lauren, said: "The terrible injuries Lauren suffered through no fault of her own have greatly impacted not only her life but that of her family. She’s lost a lot of independence, and while through access to early rehabilitation she’s making progress in her recovery, Lauren still faces many challenges.
"We’re determined to help Lauren make the best recovery possible. In the meantime, we hope her story acts as a warning about the dangers that vulnerable road users such as cyclists face and why it’s important for everyone to take care on the roads."
Police launched an investigation into the incident but decided not to take further action against the BMW driver.
Lauren added: "Despite everything I’m determined to try and not let what happened dominate my life. I’m trying to focus on my recovery and still want to set up my business if I can. I just hope that by speaking out people are aware of the damage they can cause by not paying attention on the roads."
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