Irwin Mitchell’s personal injury team have helped a woman claim compensation after she was severely injured in a road traffic collision in September 2010.
Background
Natalie was working as a car parking attendant on the Isle of Wight at the popular festival Bestival. On the Saturday evening, after finishing work, she was walking back to her campsite in the dark. Along the way, she met another person who was also walking back to the campsite and they decided to walk together.
Natalie held a glow stick in her hand to warn vehicles of their position on the side of the road. However, an oncoming motorist, who had been drinking alcohol that evening and was over the prescribed legal limit, failed to notice them and collided with them.
Natalie was thrown a significant distance from the site of impact losing consciousness at the scene. The second pedestrian was killed on impact and the driver was later convicted of causing death by careless driving whilst over the prescribed limit.
Long-Term Injuries Sustained
Following the collision, Natalie experienced severe pain and swelling around her left knee which felt wobbly. She visited A&E and medical staff placed her knee in a brace. Two months later, she underwent reconstructive surgery on her left knee, and subsequently spent another two months in a wheelchair and undergoing extensive physiotherapy. She also suffered pain in the region of her left spine and left hip, bruising and swelling on left side of her face as well as psychological symptoms.
At the time of the collision, Natalie was a student and therefore did not sustain loss of earnings. She did, however, take a year out of her studies because she was unable to drive until six months after the collision. She also required help with brushing her teeth, doing her hair and dressing for three months.
The motorist admitted liability and through the hard work of Stephanie Whatmore, Natalie received £20,000 compensation in an out of court settlement.
If you have been involved in a road traffic accident as a pedestrian, our specialist road traffic accident solicitors could help you to claim compensation. See our Pedestrian Accident Compensation page for more information.
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