Personal Injury Success Stories

A mineworker was trapped in an underground roof fall as a result of inadequate supports to the underground workings. He sustained a serious leg injury and the development of the bone infection osteomyelitis which meant that his leg, whilst being saved, was fragile. British Coal accepted liability and the arguments centred on future loss of earnings bearing in mind the precarious nature of the mining industry as it then was. Settlement: £450,000.

A lady was knocked off her horse whilst she was out riding. A number of injuries were sustained including both physical and mental. The position was complicated in both medical and financial terms and many medical experts had to be instructed to unravel the psychological and psychiatric sequelae from the accident. The case settled at the final hearing for an acceptable figure to the claimant. Settlement: £400,000.

A road traffic accident case in which a young man suffered very minor injuries physically but developed post traumatic migraine headaches. Organically, these were difficult to prove but caused significant and debilitating features which affected the claimants self employed business. The defendants were sceptical but after their own doctor treated the claimant and failed to cure the migraines, they accepted the validity of the problems and settled the case for damages which included self-employed losses. Settlement: £310,000.

A road traffic accident case in which a 37-year-old working man suffered minor fractures to the thoracic spine and a significant vertebral disc prolapse, which compressed and impinged the right side of the spinal cord. The prolapse resulted in the claimant suffering from progressive difficulty in walking and numbness affecting both hands. He subsequently developed diabetes. Following surgery, his condition was stabilised but he remained seriously handicapped and unable to return to his former heavy manual employment. The defendants were sceptical that all the symptoms were caused by the accident but settlement was eventually proposed and damages agreed. Settlement: £248,000

A warehouse worker sustained a devastating injury to his dominant right arm which became trapped against a wall by a reversing lorry. A claim was brought against both his employer and also the haulage company as a result of the driver?s negligence. The case succeeded in the Newcastle High Court and then the Court of Appeal upheld the judgment on liability. Much of the argument in the case related to the percentage that each defendant would be responsible for. Award: £240,000.

A road traffic accident case involving a 37-year-old female prison officer who suffered serious physical and psychological injuries when her vehicle was struck by another car at a cross road junction. The most serious injury was that to her right leg and knee which resulted in significant mobility problems. As a result of these injuries and other symptoms, she was unable to return to her former employment. Vocational and rehabilitation consultants were instructed to prepare a report and a pension expert assessed the level of the claimants pension loss. Whilst in the final stages of preparing the matter for Trial, the defendants made a payment into court which was accepted by the claimant. Settlement: £220,000

This case involved an oil rig worker who was injured off the coast of Scotland when on duty on the rig. He sustained a serious injury to his knee which curtailed the end of his working career. The case ended up at Trial in Edinburgh under Scottish Law, on issues of liability and value and the case succeeded on the basis that there was an unsafe system of work in place. Settlement: £200,000.

A case involving a woman out riding on her bicycle with her son, who was riding separately. Whilst she was waiting to turn right, she was struck by a tractor going in the same direction as her, knocking her off her bicycle. She suffered a number of physical injuries together with some psychological problems arising from the accident. After the Defendant initially denied liability, liability was fully conceded with no contributory negligence. The damages comprised of compensation for her physical injuries including an injury to her lower back and also psychological and psychiatric sequelae. Additionally a claim succeeded on behalf of her son who witnessed the accident and suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Settlement on behalf of mother: £140,000
Settlement for son: £7,500

A taxi driver was in a road traffic accident which led to her sustaining a post traumatic stress disorder which affected her in particular when she was driving. The claim involved her loss of earnings as a taxi driver and the defendants disputed that loss. At the Trial, the Judge accepted the psychiatric evidence put forward on her behalf and awarded her the compensation that she was entitled to. Award: £120,000.

A claim involving a woman out riding on her horse. Another horse "spooked" her horse causing it to run off with her on it. The horse ended up throwing her into a ditch with the horse then landing on top of her. She was dragged under the horse until rescuers managed to get the horse off her. Fortunately her physical injuries were minor but she suffered PTSD. The case was settled mainly on the basis of payment of psychological damages, damages in respect of the destruction of the horse and related claim. Settlement: £14,000

Mr C sustained a 16 month back injury in a road traffic accident which restricted his ability to work as a public house manager. Settlement: £5,149.00.

This claim involved a Road Traffic Accident which was a minor collision only. The lady driver we acted for sustained a very minor whiplash injury but suffered a driving phobia as a result of the accident. The phobia meant that she did not like driving her car in the same area as where the accident occurred. She required some counselling before she was able to return to normal driving patterns. Settlement: £4,000

A settlement on behalf of a woman who was bitten by a dog. The incident occurred whilst she was walking past a house in which the dog was allowed into the garden. The claim was brought under the Animals Act 1971. The claim succeeded both under the Act and also at common law because the owners of the dog had not kept the dog under proper control. Settlement: £4,000

Mr M, a taxi driver, was involved in a rear end shunt road traffic accident. As a result of the accident and as confirmed in medical advice Mr M suffered back pain for 10 days. The accident occurred 2 days before Mr M was due to go on a family holiday which cost him £690.00 for his family. Mr M and his family still went on the holiday however his enjoyment was hampered due to the injury suffered. At the accident scene Mr M had seen the approaching vehicle in his rear view mirror and braced himself for impact thus reducing the injury suffered.Settlement: £1,000.00

Mrs C sustained a 9 month whiplash type injury in a road traffic accident. Settlement: £2,000