Dad awarded £700,000 after losing arm in crash will never forgive driver responsible

A dad who had his arm amputated following a motorbike crash has been awarded nearly £700,000 in damages but says he will never forgive the driver responsible.

Darrell Gibbard, 31, was travelling to work on his Yamaha R1 bike when a car suddenly pulled out in front of him while he was legally overtaking traffic.

He couldn't break or swerve in time and was hurled off his bike, landing 15ft away from the crash site and suffering a severe spinal injury.

The injury paralysed Gibbard's right arm, he also broke his jaw, suffered a punctured lung and fractured eight of his ribs.

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The case has now been settled out of court after seven years with Darrell awarded £679,000 in net damages from the driver's insurance company.

Dad-of-three Gibbard, of Herne Bay, Kent, said: "My wife Jade has been incredibly supportive, and I couldn’t have got through this without her.

"The toughest part is getting over the mental trauma as the initial anger was difficult to deal with.

"I try not to think about it, but sometimes I do wonder how my life would have been.

"I can’t ever forgive the driver for what he did- - I’m still suffering today.

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"I have Neuropathic Phantom Limb Syndrome so I still feel as though my arm is there, but feels like it is being burned and crushed at the same time.

"I need painkillers every day.”

After the crash in 2015, Darrell was rushed to William Harvey Hospital in Kent where he underwent surgery on his broken jaw.

But he has also suffered a brachial plexus injury which caused spinal nerve damage and meant his dominant right arm was paralysed.

After five weeks, Gibbard was transferred to the specialist Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital where he underwent spinal surgery to try and restore sensation in his arm.

However because of the severity of the injury, doctors told him he would need his arm to be amputated, which he had a year later.

Gibbard said he kept his job as a wielder because he didn’t want his injury to “define” him.

He added: "Although it is harder welding with one arm, I’m still very good at it.

"I haven’t been on a motorbike since the crash and will never again.

"It’s a hard pill to swallow, but its what my family want, so I have to respect that.

"The settlement has given me relief that they’ll be okay but although we’re now mortgage- free, if I could trade my arm back, I would do so in a heartbeat.

"I would encourage motorists to be mindful on the road and remember it only takes a slight lapse in concentration to have life-changing consequences on others and yourself."

Gibbard was represented by Amina Ali, a solicitor at Barings Law.