{"id":415515,"date":"2026-01-17T14:51:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T14:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/415515\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T14:51:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T14:51:16","slug":"cyclists-fantastical-damages-claim-dismissed-after-pothole-injury-was-caused-by-bunny-hopping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/415515\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyclist’s ‘fantastical’ damages claim dismissed after ‘pothole injury’ was caused by bunny-hopping"},"content":{"rendered":"

A man who initially claimed \u00a320,000 in damages after falling off his bike, was found\u00a0to have attempted to defraud\u00a0the local\u00a0council by making a “fantastical” claim.<\/p>\n

The incident occurred in May 2020 when Wigan resident Phillip Harkins\u00a0sustained a fractured collarbone. He initially told the council he was cycling with a friend on Summit Street in Heywood, a narrow\u00a0road in poor condition, when he hit a pothole. However, Rochdale Borough Council chose to contest the claim.<\/p>\n

\"SummitSummit Street, Heywood, Rochdale, August 2020 (credit: Google Maps)<\/p>\n

The court in Manchester subsequently heard that 42-year-old Harkins’ timeline of events did not match the account given by his friend when questioned independently. The judge concluded that neither cyclist could have been on Summit Street at the time of the incident.<\/p>\n

> Rochdale Chippy owner who blames cycle lane for loss of trade in village with \u201cno cyclists\u201d uses it to prop up bike advertising his shop<\/a><\/p>\n

To make matters worse, the court also heard from two different medical professionals that treated Harkins after his fall. They said he had told them he was bunny-hopping on his bike and that his behaviour\u00a0had likely caused the crash.<\/p>\n

Rochdale Borough Council’s cabinet member for finance Carol Wardle said the court proceedings showed that Harkins’ claim was “totally fabricated”.<\/p>\n

“We investigate all compensation claims because any money paid out is ultimately coming from the taxpayer and so we have a responsibility to ensure that public money isn\u2019t wasted.<\/p>\n

“Mr Harkins has paid a high price for trying to pull a fast one with what was essentially a totally fabricated claim. I hope this finding deters anyone who may be tempted to make similarly fantastical claims in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

>\u00a0“For cyclists, potholes are far more than an annoyance”: British Cycling welcomes government’s new pothole traffic light ratings showing which counties “are fixing potholes effectively”<\/a><\/p>\n

In addition to having his damages claim dismissed for acting “in a fundamentally dishonest way”, the judge also ordered Harkins\u00a0to pay Rochdale Borough Council’s legal fees, which totalled more than \u00a318,000.<\/p>\n

It is not the only time in recent weeks that a bunny-hopping cyclist has been punished for their behaviour. In October, Spanish professional cyclist Kiko Galv\u00e1n was “disciplined” by the team<\/a> after being videoed bunny-hopping\u00a0over a raised lane barrier, jumping into the oncoming lane round a blind bend.<\/p>\n

La temeridad de Kiko Galv\u00e1n (ciclista profesional del Kern Pharma) mientras entrenaba en una carretera de Catalu\u00f1a, que le puede costar muy caro#kikogalvan<\/a> #equipokernpharma<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/UOeMVhKs43<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Avituallamiento Ciclista (@EVTMO_) October 2, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

>\u00a0\u201cA mistake has consequences, and I\u2019m paying for them\u201d: Pro cyclist \u201ckicked off team\u201d and pauses cycling career over dangerous bunny-hopping video<\/a><\/p>\n

His Kern Pharma team subsequently dismissed\u00a0Galv\u00e1n, leaving the 28-year-old to announce he was “pausing” his career and had sold his car to make ends meet.<\/p>\n