A motorcyclist who received £175,000 in compensation suffered a broken leg after a crash on a road in west Oxfordshire, court documents showed.

Carolyn Hall, who lives in Church Hanborough near Witney, appeared at Oxford Crown Court for her hearing on Monday, April 13.

The defendant, aged 51, rejected allegations of causing serious injury through reckless driving at the crossroads of Church Road and Lower Road in Church Hanborough on January 9, 2024.

The court heard that the motorcyclist, Max Higgs, sustained injuries. At the time of the crash, Hall was behind the wheel of a silver BMW 420i.

Stefan Weidmann laid out the prosecution’s arguments for the jury on April 13.

He said the case required examining what happened on a January day just over two years ago in 2024. The charge involved causing serious injury by careless driving, and the situation was straightforward.

The jury was told that Hall was driving towards Eynsham while Mr Higgs was moving northwards in the direction of Long Hanborough and Bladon.

Mr Weidmann told the jury that Mr Higgs was riding a black motorbike fitted with a learner plate.

The barrister said she pulled out of the junction and was hit by the motorbike. In their assessment, she had been driving without sufficient care and attention. The standard fell below what would be expected of a reasonable driver. The prosecution argued she was careless, while the defence contended she was not at fault.

The jury then heard from Mr Higgs directly.

He told the court he had been wearing protective leathers, a jacket, and a black and yellow helmet at the time.

He described the conditions as cold and clear.

Mr Higgs said it was his normal route to work and he had ridden that road around 50 times before.

The jury heard that as Mr Higgs neared the junction, he slowed down and spotted two vehicles leaving it.

Behind them was Hall’s car, though she stayed stationary at the junction for roughly half a minute.

Mr Higgs said he assumed something was wrong with the vehicle, possibly a breakdown or a distraction inside.

He collided with the front of the car. He went over the bonnet and landed in the middle of the road. She approached and he was somewhat upset about some of the things she said. She mentioned she would be late for her job, that she disliked bikers wearing black, and that he had appeared suddenly.

He felt quite affronted.

The jury heard that Mr Higgs suffered a fractured leg.

He said his bones had mended but he still had ongoing pain.

During questioning, the jury was told that Hall went over to Mr Higgs after the crash and expressed an apology. She also held a phone to his ear while he spoke with ambulance staff.

The jury also heard that in separate civil proceedings, Mr Higgs was awarded £175,000.

The case continues.