The Henley Standard has reported that a man has received over £1million in compensation having sustained severe injuries in a road traffic accident which occurred back at the start of 2005.
It is said that Mr Douglas of South Kensington suffered horrendous injuries to his head; in particular his face and skull, and also to his brain, pelvis and spine after a drunk driver hit him as he was crossing a road near the Natural History Museum on his birthday. Mr Douglas now faces long-lasting psychological and neurological effects which hinder his ability to get around and even speak. Immediately after the accident, Mr Douglas spent a week in a coma and a month in intensive care at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Mr Douglas has also undertaken several facial reconstruction attempts over the last six years. Unsurprisingly, the negligent drunk driver that caused Mr Douglas’s injuries and who has prevented him from being able to work again, was handed a three year driving ban and a £400 fine.
It is not for every road traffic accident that the victim will receive over a £1million in compensation. The huge sum awarded to Mr Douglas reflected the truly devastating injuries he suffered, the fact that he will not be able to work again, and also the fact that he will require round the clock care for long periods of time. Mr Douglas was a musician and worked at a law firm; as a result of not being in a position to work, he has suffered a massive loss of earnings. This demonstrates that it is not purely your injuries that you are able to be compensated for. There also other ‘heads of damage’ – for instance loss of earnings and care and assistance, which your professional injury lawyers are able to help you make a claim for compensation for. The purpose of any compensatory award is to put you back in the position you would have been in had you not suffered injuries at the hands of a negligent third party. So, if you can no longer work because of your injuries, it is possible to make a claim for your loss of earnings.
If you have had someone in to help you go about your daily routines, such as bathing, getting to and from the toilet, or washing up, you may be out of pocket as a result of having to pay for this help. Again, quality injury lawyers will try and ensure that this expenditure is recovered. After all, it is not your fault that you have had to find this help – so why should you be out of pocket as a result?
Another thing to point out about this case is the length of time in which it took to sort out – approximately six years from the date of the accident. This is not to say that your claim for compensation will likewise take this length of time. A straightforward Road Traffic Accident claim can be dealt with in a matter of months, whereas a more difficult case may take up to a year. It was purely because of the complexity of this case that it took so long to finalise Mr Douglas’ compensation package. It is important that if you have been involved in a road traffic accident, you do not avoid making a claim for compensation because you think you cannot be doing with the hassle, on the assumption it will take years and years – it is likely it will not.
If you have been involved in any sort of road traffic accident, and you believe you were not at fault, it is likely that you will have a claim for compensation. Please get in touch with a quality injury lawyer, like us at The Injury Lawyers, who will be able to provide you with some free legal advice.
