Devoted Family Speak Of Relief After Irwin Mitchell Lawyers Successfully Conclude Legal Battle

A man who suffered a devastating brain injury when he was knocked down by a courier van on the way to celebrate being given a promotion at work has today (28 February) been granted a lifetime care and rehabilitation package to give him the best quality of life possible.

Expert lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, who took over the case from another law firm that said it was unable to secure a settlement, attended an approval hearing at the High Court in London today, where the judge agreed an undisclosed sum be paid to Surinder Thind from the courier company the motorist was working for at the time of the accident in June 2007.

It will cover the cost of ongoing care and rehabilitation needed by the 58-year-old, adaptations to his home in Hounslow, Middlesex, because he is less mobile, as well as covering his loss of earnings as he is no longer able to work as a ramp agent for British Airways at Heathrow airport.

Father-of-three Surinder was crossing the A312 dual carriageway through Hounslow on his way to the pub with a friend when he was struck by the van. He suffered a severe brain injury , a brain haemorrhage, breaks in his neck and spine, a dislocated elbow and arm leaving him in a coma and needing 12 weeks of care at West Middlesex Hospital before being transferred to Northwick Hospital for intensive rehabilitation.

He was eventually discharged after six months in December 2007, but has since relied on full time care from his wife of 31 years Sukhjeet and now 28-year-old son Ravinder who moved into his parent's home with his wife to ensure his father’s care needs could be met.

Expert Opinion

Mr Thind suffered a devastating brain injury as a result of the road traffic collision that has left him needing 24-hour care.

“His family have shown devotion and dedication in providing this level of support but it is simply not sustainable. The settlement agreed at the High Court today means they can employ dedicated, specialist carers to help with Mr Thind’s everyday needs.

“It will also fund specialist rehabilitation such as speech therapies and physiotherapies to help with his ongoing recovery and improve his independence. Our specialist in-house Court Of Protection (COP) team will now work to manage the funds accordingly.

“Due to Mr Thind having no recollection of the incident and the police finding insufficient evidence to prosecute this was a difficult case, so much so that another law firm took it on but then decided not to pursue it further as they feared being unable to achieve a settlement.

“We are delighted for the family that we had the opportunity to push forward with the case resulting in the settlement being approved at court today.”
Lauren Hurney - Partner

Ravinder, who works as a Civil Servant, added: “My father had worked in the Airport industry for over 29 years and even after this length of time he still had drive to further his career. He was going to celebrate his promotion.

“Instead, his life changed forever when he was hit by the courier van when he was crossing the road.

“For months we didn’t know what the future would hold for him or even if he would survive. Day and night at his bedside in hospital rushing from University and work to take shifts and care for him. But thankfully he fought his way out of a coma and seeing him open his eyes was surreal and his condition began to improve.

“Despite being an academic in psychology and the brain, it wasn’t until dad was discharged home that I fully realised the permanent consequences of the brain injury – he is a completely different man unable to do anything for himself and a shadow of his former self. This is, and will forever remain, hurtful for our family.

“My mother and I have tried the best we can, left office based jobs and changed our careers to work anti-social and opposite shifts to ensure one of us is always at home to look after him.  Our family has been in a constant cycle of work to be able to afford a roof over our head and care to look after my father, with little next to no rest.

He added: “When the other law firm stopped pursing the case we were concerned that we were alone and how long could we keep caring for my father before becoming ill ourselves, and worried that our lives would remain difficult from this tragic accident.

“Now, the settlement means my father will always have access to care and specialist treatment so we can try to go back to being his family again rather than constant full-time carers. It’s remarkable how long our family has lasted in this cycle, and it is testament not only to our family values, but also to the faith we had in Lauren and her team at Irwin Mitchell”

“But Irwin Mitchell’s persistence to help us gain justice has today paid off and we will be forever grateful for their thorough investigation, expert and reliable advice as it means we can finally all concentrate on rebuilding our lives.”

Expert Opinion

Despite the huge impact the accident has had on the family’s lives, Ravinder has shown tremendous compassion for recent flood-hit residents in Somerset by helping the international charity, Khalsa Aid, provide relief and support to those in need.” Lauren Hurney - Partner