In November 2008 our client was riding along a quiet country road when she was hit by a van. The collision left her with extreme bruising and muscle damage requiring six months of physiotherapy. However, worse than her physical injuries was the anxiety and fear experienced after the incident.
She said: “Even when I started riding on roads again I was anxious all the time. The horses I rode, even those not involved in the accident, could pick up on the fact I was nervous and they started to misbehave further making the situation even worse and reducing my confidence.
"Despite competing successfully at a national level for many years, I felt unable to think about riding again at competitions. I felt awful – horse riding is something I’m hugely passionate about and to have that taken away was heart-breaking. I also own and run a livery yard, so there were constant daily reminders of what I was missing out on”.
Our client was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and received treatment from a specialist practitioner who was able to understand her individual needs and concerns, enabling her to regain her confidence in riding and return to the hobby she loves.
Irwin Mitchell’s Cathryn Godfrey, a serious injury expert with experience working with equestrian claims, highlighted the ways in which the success of the claim has enabled our client to resume her day to day life. “When she described her situation it appeared that she had psychological injuries that needed addressing. Through the claim we were able to secure funds for her to see a psychologist who had experience in horse riding. In addition, funds for training with a riding instructor were obtained from the driver’s insurance”.
The experts and treatment provided for our client catered to the specialist needs of those involved in equine accidents. This specialist knowledge enabled everyone concerned to provide the very best care for our client.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a road traffic accident, our personal injury claims team could help you to secure compensation. Visit our Road Traffic Accident Compensation page for more information.
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