Jeweller to the stars lost job after head-on bike crash with Uber driver

Bradley Humphreys, 27, a father of one, was thrown into the air and broke his hand in the collision in Barnes

A jeweller to the stars lost his job after being injured in a head-on crash with an Uber driver as he cycled home.

Bradley Humphreys, 27, a father of one, was thrown into the air and broke his hand in the collision in Barnes.

The force of the landing broke his bike helmet. He suffered internal bleeding and spent three days in hospital.

The driver, Khalid Pervez, of Romford, had a passenger in the back of the Toyota Prius. Asked by a police officer at what point he became aware of the cyclist, he replied: “When I hit him.”

Mr Humphreys, from Putney, had previously worked for seven years at celebrity jewellers Theo Fennell, which counts Sir Elton John, David and Victoria Beckham and Liz Hurley among its customers.

He said: “I was cycling home at about 7pm, it was still light and I passed through a green traffic light when a car coming the other way turned right into me. The car forced the handlebars into my chest and I was thrown up in the air, landing on my back.

“It was a split second, but at that point I thought I was a goner. I had no time to react as the car crashed into me. I was in shock and in quite a lot of pain. There was blood pouring down my arms and my face. I was wearing a helmet and there was a crack right down the middle of it.

“The next day I couldn’t move without extreme pain and couldn’t close my hand properly. I was more banged up than I realised. I couldn’t put any pressure on my hands for several months which meant it was impossible for me to work. I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to work again.”

The incident, in July 2018, came to light today after lawyers for Mr Humphreys revealed they had brought a civil claim for damages after the driver’s insurers admitted liability.

At the time of the crash, Mr Humphreys was working for Vashi, an exclusive jewellers, where he created pieces worth tens of thousands of pounds.

He lost his job two months later and, because he was unable to work for several months, suffered a loss of earnings. He has now set up his own jewellery design business.

His solicitor Laura Swaine, of London law firm Osbornes Law, said: “This horrendous crash that was no fault of his own has fundamentally changed my client’s life.

“Not only did he suffer the physical and mental scars from the accident, he also lost his job. We are pleased that the driver’s insurers have admitted liability as all my client wants is for this legal action to be resolved so that he can rebuild his life.”

Pervez was convicted of careless driving and sent on a road awareness course.

Uber said it was unable to comment on individual drivers due to its privacy rules.

An Uber spokeswoman said: “The safety of everyone who uses the Uber app is a top priority. All drivers must have a valid driving licence and insurance to be able to drive with Uber.”

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