Irwin Mitchell’s Serious Injury team acted on behalf of a woman who sustained severe injuries after she was hit by a vehicle.
In February 2014, our client, a mum of two, was crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing when a vehicle exiting a nearby roundabout collided with her. As a result, the woman sustained serious orthopaedic injuries and most devastatingly, a spinal cord injury which resulted in cauda equine syndrome (compression of nerves at the base of the spinal cord resulting in troubles with messages to the feet, legs and pelvic organs).
Our team were instructed to act on behalf of the client in April 2014. It was apparent that she would require extensive rehabilitation to optimise her recovery and to assist her with adapting to living with her long-term injuries.
As Irwin Mitchell had been instructed almost immediately after the incident, we were able to involve our in-house collision investigator who liaised with the police and obtained the driver’s insurance details. Once these had been gathered, we made contact with the insurer and secured a significant interim payment to ensure that our client had access to help as soon as possible, following her discharge from hospital.
Despite liability being unresolved, we were able to negotiate interim funding and implement a rehabilitation package at a very early stage. Our client was provided with a case manager and access to a psychologist, whilst also being able to purchase equipment to aid her with recovering.
The client was a Chinese national and therefore it was necessary to arrange an interpreter throughout proceedings to ensure that she was fully informed and felt confident with the team around her. This also enabled us to support the woman on a more personal level as she was very emotional about her injuries and required support with immigration and complex personal issues.
At the end of October 2014, a settlement was offered and in December 2014, only ten months post injury, our client accepted the offer in full. The compensation will ensure that the woman has the necessary funds to receive private care and rehabilitation. It will also make sure that she is fully supported and can focus on her family and their future.
Serious injury expert Stacy Clements acted on behalf of the client, she said: "We are very pleased to have been able to bring the case to a very prompt and satisfactory settlement for our client, as this was very important to her.
"I was also very proud that we were able to secure interim funding at such an early stage of the case, especially given liability was not admitted. This allowed us to bring in professionals and therapists to assist our client and make a real difference to her quality of life without delay."
If you or a loved one has been injured in road traffic accident as a pedestrian, our pedestrian accident lawyers could help you claim compensation. Visit our Road Traffic Accident Compensation page for more information.
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