Aspiring teacher hit by school bus succeeds in fight for compensation

A trainee teacher who lost his job and suffered lasting injuries after being crushed by a school bus has been awarded £365,000 damages.

John Lewis, 32, was visiting his nine-year-old cousin after classes when the moving bus packed with children reversed into him - trapping him against two other vehicles.
The impact caused Mr Lewis, a former air cadet drill instructor, multiple fractures to his pelvis and he spent three weeks in hospital. He now has osteoarthritis and will need a hip replacement.

Enquiries revealed the driver of the bus had been carrying out an illegal reversing manoeuvre around a corner and failed to spot Mr Lewis, who was standing at the rear. The driver was later fined £200 and given nine points on his licence but was allowed to keep his job.

After a four year legal battle Mr Lewis successfully sued the bus driver's employers, Islington Council, North London, who were forced to pay Mr Lewis compensation for his injuries and suffering.

The accident, in Finsbury Park in June 2004, cost Mr Lewis his job as a teaching assistant and he also had to abandon his ambition to become a paramedic in the Territorial Army and his position as drill instructor with the Air Training Corps.
The father-of-one also spiralled into depression and split up with his fiancee just weeks before their wedding.

After the award, Mr Lewis, who now works for the British Red Cross advising on health and safety issues, said: "I'd give every penny back if it meant we could try to reduce the risk of this kind of accident happening again. ''I could have been killed that day. ''I was angry that the driver hadn't been suspended or punished - he was back at work the next day. "The incident has had a critical impact on my life. I lost my job, my active lifestyle and my relationship. The physical and psychological damages have been devastating and it's been difficult getting my life back on track. ''I eventually wanted to become a full time PE teacher but I can't do anything now. I will never recover from the physical injury.''

An spokesman for Islington Council said: "The safety of our drivers and the general public when our vehicles are being used is of course a priority, but occasionally accidents do happen.
''In these cases, the driver concerned is re-assessed in order to ensure that they posses all the relevant skills required to continue driving on behalf of the council in a safe manner."