Serious Injury Experts At Irwin Mitchell Helping Family To Access Funds For 17-Year-Old Girl’s Rehabilitation Following Triple-Fatality Car Smash

A teenage girl who nearly died in a car crash which killed three others has paid tribute to her friends and is urging other young people to drive safely just over a year since the tragic accident.

Chloe Newby suffered multiple life-threatening injuries when she was involved in a head-on collision with another car on December 27 2010.

Serious injury experts from law firm Irwin Mitchell are helping her family to access the funds needed for her continuing rehabilitation from her injuries and she has made remarkable progress throughout the year since the accident.

Chloe, now 17, from Mexborough, near Doncaster, was a passenger in the back of a Vauxhall Corsa being driven by her boyfriend, Jonathan Scott, when it hit an oncoming Volkswagen Golf in the accident.

Jonathan, 17, and two other passengers, Robert Tepper, 17, and Lauren Birkett, 16, were all killed, while Chloe was left with serious injuries including brain damage and a broken neck. She also suffered a broken right leg, broken ankles, multiple pelvic fractures, a broken left arm, a torn liver and a collapsed lung.
 
Chloe was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary, and despite the severity of her injuries she was eventually allowed home in February to recover with her family. She has since begun studying health and beauty at college.
 
Irwin Mitchell is now working with her family to help them access the necessary funds to help with Chloe’s rehabilitation from her injuries. Her physical recovery has been promising and is almost complete, but she continues to suffer with the terrible memories of the accident.

Chloe said: “I feel lucky that I could be with my family this Christmas but it has been a very difficult time too as it was the first Christmas without Jonathan, Bobby and Lauren. I think about them all a lot and it’s still hard to believe they’re not here.

“They were three of my closest friends and I’ll always miss them. The world isn’t the same place without them. Our old school at Mexborough had a memorial service for them recently and it was a small comfort to know people are still thinking of them as much as I am. I feel so lucky to be alive, but at the same time it’s horrible to think they’re not here too.

“I just want to tell everybody to drive safely this winter and at every other time of year too. At the end of the day, nothing is as important as your own life and the lives of others.”

Her mum, Yana, said: “The accident was the most awful moment of our entire lives, and we are just so relieved that Chloe is alive. Sadly, there are three families who have had to spend Christmas without their children and that is just heart-breaking. Our thoughts are with them all.

Her Dad, Kerry, added: “She’s making a promising physical recovery, but the mental side will take much longer to heal and the memories will be with her forever.”

The family’s solicitor, Kate Petchey, a serious injury expert from Irwin Mitchell, said: “Although Chloe is making a good recovery from the collision, the accident will have a lasting impact on her and her family for the rest of their lives, and it has had a devastating effect on the lives of others.

“I’d like to echo Chloe’s plea for people to drive safely this winter, as it would be devastating for another family to go through what the families of these young people have.
 
“Physically, Chloe has made a fantastic improvement, but the accident caused some brain damage, meaning Chloe still suffers from a poor memory and fatigue. She has begun to get her life back on track by studying health and beauty at college, and we hope that this case can be resolved as quickly as possible to help her take those next steps.”

If you've been affected by a road traffic accident and need help to make a claim, get in touch with our expert team today.