Former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has been given a âplease explainâ over his legal defence to defamation claims.
Ryan Meuleman, also known as the âBike Boyâ, is in the process of suing Andrews and his wife Catherine for defamation as part of a saga that began with the collision of his bike and the Andrewsâ vehicle in 2013 when he was a teenager.
The matter is set to hit the Federal Court of Australia in Melbourne next month with claims now emerging the ex-Premier suggested Mr Meuleman was simply pursuing an unfounded cash grab.
Mr Meuleman, 27, is suing the couple because he feels their public statements over the crash defamed him.
Andrews narrowly got in before the deadline to file his written defence against the legal action in February.
In the latest salvo to be fired in the drama, lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Meuleman have filed a document with the court asking it to make a ruling over a series of questions about Andrewsâ defence.
In an interlocutory application filed with the court, Mr Meulemanâs lawyers called on the presiding judge to rule on whether the Andrewsâ public comments implied he had lied about the facts and circumstances of the collision.
They also want clarity on whether Andrews had suggested Mr Meuleman had sought to use the legal proceedings to obtain money based on his false claims.
Former Premier Dan Andrews is largely despised by Victorians after locking them away for the longest period in the world during the Covid pandemic.
The judge will also rule on whether Mr Meuleman sought to rely on a specious report from a doctor in order to gain a financial advantage to which he was not entitled.
Andrews was Victorian opposition leader when the Ford Territory SUV carrying him, his wife, and their three children collided with Ryan, then 15, while he was cycling in the seaside town of Blairgowrie on January 7, 2013.
Andrews told police his wife was driving and had come to a âcomplete stopâ before she âturned right from a stationary positionâ when the teen hit the carâs side.
Mr Meuleman was airlifted to the Royal Childrenâs Hospital with life-threatening injuries including a punctured lung, broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and internal bleeding.
According to a Federal Court statement of claim seen by the Daily Mail, Mr Meuleman âcontinues to suffer pain from the injuries he sustained as a result of the collisionâ.
He also âcontinues to suffer from significant symptoms of depression, anxiety and traumatisationâ, the document states.
The documents claim the Andrewsâ âimpliedly admittedâ via their lawyers that their press release comments were in response to a media article which highlighted a review of the collision by Raymond Shuey, the former Assistant Commissioner for Traffic Operations.
âThis so-called report was commissioned by lawyers on behalf of their clients [sic] who are seeking money through the courts by suing their former lawyers,â the Andrewsâ statement read.
Ryan Meuleman, also known as the âBike Boyâ, after he was allegedly hit by the Andrews vehicle
Catherine Andrews (right) was allegedly behind the wheel when âBike Boyâ was hit
The wrecked car of Dan Andrews after âBike Boyâ hit the windscreen
âWe are not a party to this legal action. We did nothing wrong. This matter has already been comprehensively and independently investigated and closed by Victoria Police and integrity agencies.
âWe will not dignify these appalling conspiracy theories by commenting further at this time.â
Mr Meulemanâs statement of claim alleges he offered to settle the defamation action in September for $50,000 in damages, $7000 in costs and a public apology after sending the couple a concerns notice.
However, Andrewsâ defence claims Mr Meuleman sent his first concerns notice in February 2025 and demanded $550,000.
The Andrews allege a group of people have been assisting Meuleman âin pursuing redress in relation to the collision, including by way of bringing public and political pressure to bear on the respondents and inflicting reputational damage on the respondents since 2022â.
Victoriaâs anti-corruption commission investigated the conduct of Victoria Police following the crash after the officers who responded to a Triple Zero call failed to breathalyse Catherine Andrews at the scene contrary to protocol, but cleared the police of failures.
In 2024, Mr Meuleman settled with legal firm Slater and Gordon, alleging his former lawyers failed to properly investigate the crash and pressured him to take an $80,000 compensation settlement from the Transport Accident Commission and sign a non-disclosure agreement.
