Former chef receives £60,000 after sustaining multiple injuries in road traffic accident

A former chef has been told he can never work in the profession again after suffering life changing injuries in a road traffic accident.

Oliver Holden, from Southampton, contacted Fletchers Solicitors to help him with a compensation claim following his accident and he received a £60,000 settlement for his injuries.

The 23 year old sustained a number of serious injuries after a vehicle pulled across his right of way on St Denys Road, Southampton and collided with his vehicle.

The injuries included a fracture to Oliver’s right femur, a fracture to his right knee, a fracture of T4-T8 vertebrae and a dislocation to an Acromioclavicular joint (ACJ), which has left a permanent lump on the right shoulder where the joint is permanently dissociated.  Oliver also sustained internal bleeding to his liver.

Oliver remained at Southampton General Hospital for over two weeks while surgery was carried out before returning to work three months later.

Oliver has since had to retrain in a completely different occupation and he now works as a Ward Clerk in the same hospital where he was treated for his injuries.  

He said: “My physiotherapist has warned me of the increased risk of arthritis and about how my kneecap does not run smoothly in the joint any more due to the fracture.

“This will be permanent, and as a result of this I have taken my own initiative not to work in a job where I am putting a lot of pressure on it each day, especially as I have seen examples of early arthritis in this situation.”

Dale Bickerstaffe and Ceri Dudley from Fletchers Solicitor’s Serious Injury Multi Track department assisted Oliver through his serious injury claim.

Oliver concluded: “Ceri and Dale have been very helpful and open about the case. I found it very easy to discuss it with them and clearly understand the situation.”