Doctor paralysed in bike crash secures £4.5m settlement over faulty forks
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
A doctor left with life-changing spinal injuries after the front forks of his gravel bike snapped during a ride has secured a £4.5 million settlement following a prolonged legal battle.
Dr Daniel Gordon was cycling at around 15mph down a grassy slope in Inverness in August 2020 when the carbon forks of his Planet X Tempest bike sheared in two, causing a devastating crash. The accident left him with a complete spinal cord injury at the T4 level, paralysing him from the chest down and confining him to a wheelchair for life.
Expert testing later revealed the bike's carbon fibre forks were materially thinner and weaker than equivalent models, raising serious concerns about how the bike was designed, tested, and sold, with Dr Gordon, an NHS resident doctor at the time, initially claiming £10 million in damages to cover future care and accommodation costs.
The original claim was brought against Planet X, the seller of the £2,300 bike, but after the company went into liquidation in 2023, proceedings were pursued against their insurers—Arch Insurance (UK) Ltd and Chubb European Group SE.
A settlement was reached and approved just days before a five-day High Court trial was due to begin in May 2025, with the £4.5m reflecting 50% of the full value of the claim. The agreement includes a provision allowing Dr Gordon to return to court for further damages should his condition worsen due to a rare and untreatable spinal cyst.
Dr Gordon said: “This injury has been catastrophic, but I’ve been fortunate to have had expert support from Stewarts, who have helped secure a future where my care and housing needs are now met. Thanks also to my friend and coach Ewan Stirling, who first spotted the unusual break in the fork—without him, I may never have brought this case. I now hope to move forward and prove that life, even with these challenges, can still be meaningful and rewarding.”
Dr Gordon’s solicitor, Julian Chamberlayne, added: “Danny has shown extraordinary strength in rebuilding his life, returning to work with the NHS and continuing to cycle with a hand bike. This case has highlighted serious issues in the design and regulation of gravel bikes, especially where marketing suggests performance far beyond tested limits.”
The case raises broader concerns for independent bike retailers who often rely on manufacturers for the integrity and safety of the products they sell, underlining the need for manufacturers and sellers to work together to ensure bikes are properly tested, accurately advertised, and clearly categorised for their intended use.