Life changed in a flash
ZACH Mavris was riding his bike to work when a LandCruiser hit him, flinging him 10 metres down the road into the gutter.
Mr Mavris, an advanced practice nurse at the Townsville Hospital, said he was cycling to work on March 15 when the accident happened about 9.30pm.
“I have flashbacks. I was going into the roundabout, and all of a sudden I could see lights on my left, the car hit me and I rolled on its bonnet,” he said.
Mr Mavris suffered severe injuries to his legs, kidneys, spleen, broke multiple ribs and was placed in an induced coma for nearly a week.
“It’s a long process, it’s been five months so far and the pain is my main concern,” he said.
“Every day I can’t sleep my normal sleeping pattern and my leg is sore.”
He still hasn’t returned to work, as he can’t spend too much time standing and is undergoing therapy every week to hopefully be back at work next year.
“It was life changing. I respect other drivers and I’m more careful … we all have something very valuable, which is life,” he said. “We all need to be aware of bicycles and I hope the drivers are more careful, more educated and respect the road rules.”
It is for this reason Mr Mavris is urging people to be more careful on the road, with Queensland Road Safety Awareness Week kicking off on Monday.
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers Townsville regional office leader Rene Flores said he was assisting Mr Mavris with his work compensation and third-party insurer claims.
“Quite a lot of people are unfortunately injured on the roads through no fault of their own,” he said.
“It is life changing and not only affects the individual but also their family members. It’s a financial burden to most who aren’t able to return to work.”
Mr Flores said the firm was supportive of initiatives such as the safety awareness week that made roads safer.