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Road death court case is settled
THE family of a council worker who died nearly three years after being hit by a car have reached an out-of-court settlement with the driver's insurers.
Highways worker Tony Gate, from Hartlepool, suffered a severe traumatic brain injury after he was hit by a Ford Escort in July 2003 while he put out signs for roadworks in West View Road.
Mr Gate later died, aged 52, in February 2006, after spending almost three years in a nursing home in Peterlee in a persistent vegetative state.
Prior to his accident, Mr Gate had lived in Dunoon Road in the Owton Manor area.
No criminal charges were ever brought against the driver of the car – town woman Julie Verrall, who was 28 at the time of the accident – though Mr Gate's family started civil proceedings against her insurers.
After a long fight by Mr Gate's family, the GMB union and its lawyers Thompsons Solicitors, the insurers accepted some responsibility for her part in the accident.
Mr Gate's sister Linda Hughes said: "The entire family are pleased someone has finally accepted responsibility for Tony's accident.
"When we began civil proceedings we were not interested in compensation, this has always been about finding out what happened.
"Tony was never able to tell us what happened on that day and now we feel the final piece of the puzzle has been found."
Maxine Bartholomew from the GMB said: "Local council highways workers face very serious dangers on a day to day basis and we want to work with the councils to ensure the safety of our members.
"In this case someone has accepted part responsibility for the accident.
"We have been pleased to support the family in their quest for justice."
Andrew McDonald from Thompsons Solicitors added: "The family lost Tony twice – once at the time of his accident and, after visiting him every single day that he remained in a persistent vegetative state, on his death.
"We owed it to Tony to try and find out exactly what happened and to find out who was responsible."
An inquest into Mr Gate's death held in Darlington in May ruled the cause of death to be pneumonia and severe traumatic brain injury.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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