Irwin Mitchell’s Serious Injury team helped to secure a settlement for a young man after he was involved in a road traffic accident.
Paul, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, was 13 years old when he was a passenger in a car which collided with another vehicle. Our client, now 23, had significant pre-existing autism, epilepsy and learning difficulties prior to the accident and only sustained minor physical injuries in the crash, not requiring hospital treatment.
Unfortunately, in the days that followed the accident, Paul developed a significant behavioural reaction, a psychological reaction, post-traumatic depression, loss of interest, withdrawal socially, agitation and aggression.
Our serious injury lawyers were able to carefully identify what additional harm was caused as a result of the road accident and successfully negotiated an out of court settlement for a five-figure sum.
David Withers, a solicitor specialising in serious injury, said: “Paul had severe autism, epilepsy and learning disabilities before the accident. The driver’s insurers took the stance that Paul’s symptoms would have arisen in any event but by obtaining strong evidence, we were able to quantify the difference which the accident made to Paul’s symptoms.
“We had to take a careful, forensic approach to ensure that we explored what, if any, additional harm had been caused by the accident. After doing so, we secured a significant sum of money which made a real difference to Paul’s quality of life.”
Louise Jenkins, Partner in our Serious Injury team, added: “We have built a strong reputation over many years of successfully tackling the most complex of cases including those where the client had medical or other complications prior to the accident.
“We strive to be tenacious in all that we do in fighting for fair settlements in order to secure future financial protection for our clients and to ensure that the legal process facilitates their recovery.
“The client’s quality of life is always central to the process. We want to enable them to get back to living the lifestyle they were leading before which is often possible through access to specialist medical treatment and rehabilitation.”
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a road traffic accident, our serious injury claims team could help you to secure compensation. Visit our Road Traffic Accident Compensation page for more information.
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