Mr T sustained a spinal cord injury in 2006 when the car in which he was a passenger crashed in Leicester. His injury left him tetraplegic, which meant he was unable to care for himself and was entirely dependent on other people.
Although the Defendant accepted liability, Mr T’s case was complicated because he was very young at the time of the accident so it was difficult to predict what he might have achieved in terms of employment and so calculate his lifelong future loss of earnings. He also had a complex social background which continued post-injury and meant that certain aspects of his needs, such as providing care and therapies, were difficult to manage.
Irwin Mitchell worked with Mr T over a period of five years to find him suitable accommodation, a bespoke care package, case management, aids and equipment and an adapted vehicle. We took numerous detailed witness statements supporting his strong work ethic and potential for the future. We calculated significant past and future expenses to build a financial package which would provide him with financial security in the future, and in summer 2011, Mr T’s case settled. He received a lump sum award of over £900,000 which he intended to use primarily to adapt a property he had purchased, together with a substantial annual sum (a periodical payment order) which would be utilised for his care and case management package. Mr T had already received interim payments of almost £1,000,000 during the lifetime of his case in order to purchase a property and pay for the things he required such as care, case management and specialist equipment.