I remember when I was younger my school would regularly drill in the importance of safety when it came to crossing the road. Look, look, and look again – I remember the hedgehog adverts that aimed to ensure youngsters were safe when attempting to cross.
But when you use an official crossing such as a pelican crossing you expect to be able to use it safely. The rules of the road are clear and the duty is for the driver to give way when you have the right of way is important. Unfortunately for Miss R the defendant driver failed to pay the due care and attention owed which resulted in her sustaining injury and loss.
Miss R approached The Injury Lawyers as personal injury experts to deal with her claim on a no win, no fee basis. She was assured that all 100% of her compensation – every penny and every pound – would be hers. When it comes to more serious injury cases it is so important to instruct a specialist law firm because it could mean the difference between the payout and service you deserve, or falling short in both compensation and expectations.
Miss R attempted to cross the pelican crossing with the lights on green in her favour when the defendant driver negligently ran their red light and hit our client. As well as general bodily injuries she suffered medial ligament damage and an avulsion fracture to the knee. Having suffered from ligament ruptures and an avulsion fracture in the same joint myself, I know only too well just how significant this injury can be.
When it comes to payouts for claims we always look at the effects both in the long and short term. We instructed an expert orthopaedic medical consultant to provide us with a report that identified the extent and severity of the injury and loss to Miss R to allow us to settle the claim at a sum that is fair and reflective of the nature of the injuries suffered.
In the case of Miss R restrictions in bending, walking, standing, and crouching were identified; all of which are common. These lead to long term problems and restrictions in the nature of employment that can be carried out as well as the risk that arthritis will develop in the joint later on in life. The age of the victim is also taken in to account – Miss R was in her early twenties when the accident occurred.
As I said – given I have suffered from a very similar, but slightly worse, injury myself I know all too well just how bad it can be. Sadly mine was through football so I can’t make a claim for it. Understandably Miss R suffered psychologically as well – the incident knocked her confidence somewhat which is perfectly understandable given the circumstances. We also obtained a psychologist report to factor this in to the claim as well.
Having funded private medical treatment for physiotherapy and rehabilitation, something that is normally a standard as part of The Injury Lawyers quality expert service, we achieved a settlement of £30,000 for the injuries and losses caused. We used a combination of official guidelines and our expert experience as leading injury lawyers, together with the all important medical evidence, to make sure we fought for a fair and justifiable payout.
£30,000 is a lot of money – but when you look at the length of the suffering, long term affects, requirements for surgery (of which Miss R required two operations) and all of the associated problems that come with knee ligament and joint injuries in general, a victim is entitled to a decent award. Whilst anyone who suffers such an injury would always wish that it would never have happened, we cannot turn back the time – but what we can do provide the private medical care, legal support, and the level of compensation reflective of what has happened to at least help in the situation.
