Nathan Tavares KC secures £4.5m settlement for cyclist in a spinal cord injury product liability claim

Nathan Tavares KC successfully represented Dr Daniel Gordon, a junior NHS doctor, to secure a £4.5m settlement after he sustained life-changing spinal cord injuries when the carbon fibre forks on his gravel bike snapped whilst cycling.

Dr Gordon was left paralysed from the chest down in August 2020 after the forks on his brand-new “gravel” bike (Planet X Tempest SRAM Force) split into two whilst cycling down a grassy slope.

As Planet X became insolvent in 2023, Dr Gordon made his claim under the Consumer Protection Act against its two insurers, Arch Insurance (UK) Limited and Chubb European Group SE for the losses he has suffered as a result of his life-changing injuries.

Nathan Tavares KC was instructed by Julian Chamberlayne and James Griffin of Stewarts Law.

Ahead of a five-day trial due to begin on 6 May 2025 at the High Court in London, following negotiations between the parties, a settlement of £4.5m was agreed upon, to be treated as 50% of the full value of his claim. Nathan and the team at Stewarts ensured that the settlement order includes provision for Dr Gordon to return to court and seek further damages in the event he experiences a rare but serious and untreatable deterioration caused by a spinal syrinx. Since his accident, Dr Gordon has taken up hand cycling, and completed the London Marathon 2025.

The issues in the case included what consumer expectations would have been for the durability of a gravel bike, whether the carbon fibre forks met appropriate manufacturing standards, and what loads the claimant’s bike would have experienced on the route he descended.

Press coverage

The initial story of the case can be read here.

To read the full article by Stewarts, click here.

The case has been covered widely by the media:

• BBC News
• The Times
• Daily Mail

Find out more

Nathan Tavares KC specialises in catastrophic personal injury claims, product liability, clinical negligence and professional negligence. He is regarded by solicitors and opponents interviewed by the legal directories for having “sound judgment“, “a measured and independent perspective“, and as being “hard-working, conscientious and intellectually very strong.”

Nathan has many years of experience in product liability claims involving personal injury. His expertise includes medical device litigation through to defective consumer products such as motor vehicles, bicycles and machine tools. His instructions have been broadly balanced between claimants and defendants and many claims have involved a foreign element.

He is a Head of Chambers at Outer Temple and has acted in some of the highest value personal injury claims.

To find out more about Nathan, contact Paul Barton on +44 (0)20 7427 4907.

News 9 May, 2025