Settlement for spinal cord injury following RTA

RTA spinal cord injury paraplegia compensation claim local authority

Our client was involved in a car accident, suffering a spinal cord injury which resulted in complete paraplegia (paralysis of the legs and lower body).

The car in which she was a passenger skidded off the road at a notorious accident black spot and rolled down a sharp incline before smashing against a tree.

Acting on a No-Win-No-Fee basis, we recovered £1.4m for her in a spinal cord injury claim against her partner who was driving the car and the local authority responsible for maintaining the road.

We visited our client while she was still being treated in a spinal cord injury unit and we made sure that when she was discharged a rehabilitation package was in place to ensure any treatment, therapies and care she required continued. Interim payments were secured, which helped fund suitable accommodation and equipment.

We had to deal with things very sensitively, especially since our client had a pre-accident history of breast cancer. Liability was eventually admitted in full by her partner’s motor insurer, but their initial offer of £500,000 was insufficient to meet our client’s needs.

We obtained evidence from a variety of medical experts, including a spinal surgeon, oncologist and physiotherapist in order to assess the true value of her claim. In relatively short order for cases of this complexity (three years) a negotiated settlement of £1.4m was agreed.

Given the size of the financial award, we also set up a personal injury trust to ensure that our client’s compensation was protected and she retained her entitlement to state benefits and support.