Disabled mother compensated after car accident
A woman who suffered personal injuries to her spine, arms and legs when she was knocked down by a drunk driver, has settled her claim out of court for a gross sum of more than £1 million.
The woman, who had developed cerebral palsy in her childhood, was hit by the car while she was crossing a road close to her home, as she returned from an evening walk to a nearby shop.
Speaking about the accident and her present situation, the woman said that her condition affects her movement.
The woman, whose young son is also disabled, went on to say that: "Before the accident I was able to walk, but my balance is not perfect and I tended to walk more slowly than other people."
Excruciating pain after hit
The mother added: "As I returned home from the shop that evening I used the pedestrian crossing. My condition has rendered me blind to my right hand side. I was crossing the road and the first thing I knew about the car was when it hit me."
"I was in excruciating pain and rushed to hospital, where doctors told me I had sustained at least 15 major fractures, together with too many minor fractures to count," she said.
The woman stated that she is affected by the injuries that she sustained to her arm, head, and an impingement to the spine.
Gary Herbert, a personal injury specialist with a no win no fee solicitors firm, said that the injuries were so severe that the initial consultant was unable to treat them and referred his client to a specialist.
Mr Herbert, who also represented the woman in the legal claim and helped to secure the seven figure sum of compensation, went on to explain the life situation that the disabled woman would face as a result of the injury.
He said: "The injuries she sustained would have been difficult for an able-bodied person to cope with, but for someone already facing the challenges posed by cerebral palsy they were simply devastating."
Receiving treatment years after incident
"She has required a number of operations and spent more than three years undergoing rehabilitation treatment in the wake of the incident," he said.
Mr Herbert added: "The spinal cord injury has severely affected her ability to use her right arm, and she is still unable to look after her young son without assistance. She is also unable to walk without the aid of a stick and sometimes has to use a wheelchair to get around."
The driver was later charged by the police and convicted of drink driving and driving without care and attention.
In March this year, following lengthy negotiations, Mr Herbert helped to settle the claim on behalf of his client in the gross sum of just over £1 million.
As a no win no fee payout, the woman will be able to keep the entire total of the compensation claim that she has been awarded. Along with this, she will not have to pay for the legal fees that were involved in taking her case to court.
Updated on 4/7/2010