A West Midlands Police officer who suffered serious injuries after being thrown from his motorbike has vowed to take legal action against a Nottinghamshire council that initially denied any issues with the road, despite commencing repairs five months after the incident.
Charles Woolhouse-Smith, 37, was riding his BMW motorcycle along Woodthorpe Drive in Nottinghamshire when his bike suddenly veered into a gutter and collided with the rear of a stationary van. He attributes the loss of control to a build-up of loose stones and gravel caused by potholes, comparing the steering conditions to “driving on ice.”
Nottinghamshire County Council maintains that the road was not at fault, citing a “thorough investigation” that found no evidence of negligence. The council also noted that routine inspections before and after the accident did not identify defects requiring urgent repair.
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Mr Woolhouse-Smith, a resident of Woodthorpe and an officer with West Midlands Police, was thrown over the handlebars during the crash on 10 April. Emergency services were alerted by bystanders, and he was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre for treatment.
An ultrasound revealed severe trauma to his groin and genital area, forcing him to take two weeks off work and an additional six weeks on light duties upon his return. Reflecting on the incident, he said, “This caused me fear and anxiety as I am a young man. It could have been worse and I was lucky this was not the case. I had to stay overnight under observation. It took a while to heal, and I don’t like being off work. The main reason I was not further injured was because I am a sensible rider and I wore full protective gear.”
Having ridden motorcycles for seven years, Mr Woolhouse-Smith bought the BMW involved in the crash for £6,500, but the damage rendered the bike a write-off. He has since purchased a replacement, which he says is “nowhere near what the other one was.”
Four days after the accident, Mr Woolhouse-Smith contacted Nottinghamshire County Council seeking compensation, arguing that better road maintenance might have prevented the crash. However, the council’s risk and insurance team declined his claim in August, stating that inspections conducted nine days before the crash and in May after the accident found no urgent defects and that the highway was not considered to be in disrepair.
Despite this, Woodthorpe Drive was closed from 15 to 17 September for patch repairs-targeted fixes to damaged areas rather than full resurfacing-leading Mr Woolhouse-Smith to question the council’s earlier statements. He remains determined to pursue compensation, adding, “I’ve been thinking about legal action and going through my solicitor at work because, with my job, I see this all the time. I am going to go as far as I can with this because of the people in the same situation that can’t or don’t know how to.”
A Nottinghamshire County Council spokesperson expressed sympathy for Mr Woolhouse-Smith, stating, “We are sorry to hear about the injuries and distress suffered by Mr Woolhouse-Smith following this incident and we appreciate that this must have been a very difficult experience for him. We can confirm that the council has received a claim relating to this incident, and this has been thoroughly investigated. However, as this is a legal matter, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
The recent patching on Woodthorpe Drive coincides with claims from county council leader Mick Barton that Nottinghamshire has repaired more roads than any other county. Earlier this year, the Reform-led authority announced a £2 million emergency fund targeting urgent repairs across 35 identified sites.