Dead biker's family gets £110,000

Richard Cooper lost control of his bike after riding through a fuel spill

A dead motorcyclist's family who were awarded £110,000 in compensation for his death have urged others to make similar claims.

Richard Chris Cooper, 58, lost control of his Yamaha Royal Star 1300 after riding through a fuel spill on the B6403 in Lincolnshire, in March 2006.

The Dorset father-of-two then collided with a van - he later died in hospital.

The Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), which compensates victims of untraced or uninsured drivers, made the payout.

Mr Cooper, originally from Middlesex, worked as a bus driver at Wilts & Dorset Bus Company, based in Ringwood, Dorset.

We... hope that it will now open doors for other families who have lost loved ones under similar circumstances Richard Cooper

He leaves his wife Wendy Cooper and two sons, Richard and Barry Cooper.

Richard Coooper said: "We are extremely pleased that our claim has been successful and hope that it will now open doors for other families who have lost loved ones under similar circumstances.

"Diesel spills on our roads are responsible for a growing number of injuries and deaths, and the tragedy is that they could so easily have been prevented."

Mr Cooper was on his way to a motorbike rally in Skegness on 24 March last year, when he crashed.

'Preventable accident'

His family had no way of finding out who was responsible for the deadly spillage.

But they found they could make a claim for compensation if they could prove his death was a "preventable accident".

With the help of their solicitor, Andrew Campbell, they applied to the MIB.

Victims of negligent uninsured and untraced motorists have three years from the date of their accident to lodge a claim with the MIB, which is paid for through motor insurance policies.

Mr Campbell said: "Motorcyclists and drivers who are involved in accidents and suffer injuries as a result of diesel spills often don't realise they can claim compensation because the person responsible for the spill may be unknown."

The Motor Insurers' Bureau confirmed the payout.