Recent Cases - Personal Injury

RTA near Tetbury, Glos

We have been acting for a young lady who was involved in a road traffic accident during July 2009 when she was only aged 18. Briefly, she was a front seat passenger in a car being driven by a friend who had passed her driving test the day before. She was wearing a seatbelt. There were three other passengers in the rear of the car and the driver suddenly started “a race” with another car driver, during which her friend lost control of their vehicle, hitting a verge which caused the car to crash and roll over. She lost consciousness for a few minutes. As well as some soft tissue injuries, she also suffered a nasty facial laceration which has now left her with some scarring. She had to be taken by ambulance to hospital and underwent surgery to remove grit and other debris from her scalp. Fortunately, she has made a good recovery from her physical injuries and with cosmetic surgery the scarring on her face should hardly be noticeable. She had no claim for loss of earnings. After obtaining the appropriate medical reports, we were able to settle her case without the need to issue proceedings.

S J Edney solicitors obtained compensation of £27,500.00 for this client during 2011

 

Accidents at work

Our client (who is now aged 56) sought our advice about a number of accidents which he had at work during previous years. At the time of each of his accidents, he had been employed by the same company as a bus driver. In October 2008, he was stepping down from the door of a bus when he missed the step and fell, striking his back on the step. In February 2009, he had 2 falls in the main yard at his place of work when he slipped on ice. In January 2010 he had 3 or 4 falls in the course of a few days as a result of the ice on the ground and on each occasion he landed on his back. Finally, in April 2010 he aggravated his back symptoms when cleaning a bus. His immobility following his most recent accident caused him to develop a DVT. This was a difficult claim to quantify. We were advised by our medical experts that our client’s accidents had accelerated pre-existing symptoms in his lumbar spine by a period of 18 to 24 months as well as contributing to his DVT. There is a small risk that a may develop a further DVT in the future. Notwithstanding his problems, our client is fit for work albeit he would have to find alternative employment. Proceedings had to be issued against his employer and we were then able to settle his claim.

S J Edney solicitors obtained compensation of £40,000.00 for this client during 2011

 

Allergic reaction to chemicals at work

One of our clients (aged 55) from about 2005 up until 2008 had been exposed to a drug by his employer in Swindon, who are a well known pharmaceutical company, which in turn, caused him to develop allergic contact dermatitis. It took him about 12 months or so before he had fully recovered from his reaction and he to take some time off work although he did not suffer any loss of earnings. He instructed our firm in January 2011 and his employer’s insurers relied on a limitation Defence ie. he had not submitted his personal injury claim within 3 years of him first having this allergic reaction and his claim was now time barred. In other words, he left it too late in which to make a claim. We disagreed as there was a good reason for this delay and we issued proceedings at Swindon County Court. The insurers’ solicitors agreed with us and we were then able to settle his claim.

S J Edney solicitors obtained compensation of £2,500.00 for this client during 2011

RTA at roundabout in Swindon

One of our clients (aged 42) sustained a number of serious injuries when he was knocked off his bicycle by a motorist at a roundabout in Swindon. His injuries included fractures to his left elbow; right wrist; his right thumb together with extensive facial lacerations. Psychologically he was also injured and for a period of time remained a nervous driver/cyclist because of what happened. Fortunately, he did not sustain a loss of earnings and the prognosis for a full recovery in time was encouraging. He may need to undergo further surgery on his left elbow at a later time. The insurers of the other driver admitted liability but we were unable to agree quantum. Proceedings had to be issued at Swindon County Court and we were then able to negotiate a favourable settlement for our client.

S J Edney solicitors obtained compensation of £46,250.00 for this client during 2011

 

Knocked over by a nightclub bouncer

We acted for a client (aged 35) who together with some friends visited a nightclub in Gloucester during May 2010. During the early hours of the morning, a fight broke out near the bar area and a member of the club’s security staff (who was running towards the disturbance) accidentally collided with our client causing her to fall over and sustain a number of soft tissue injuries. She was left with a whiplash type injury to her neck which resolved itself within about 18 to 24 months following this accident. She was badly shaken up by the whole experience. A letter of claim was sent to the security company in question and we were able to settle her claim without the need to issue proceedings.

S J Edney solicitors obtained compensation of £4,010.00 for this client during 2011

 

Road accident involving cyclist

We acted for a physiotherapist (a woman aged 42) who lives in Sevenoaks and was riding her bicycle in this town during September 2008. She remembers cycling along the outside of the traffic when she saw a car approaching her in the opposite direction. She pulled in to get out of the way of this car. She then saw it hit a parked car on the other side of the road and then come towards her. She didn’t have time to move out of the way. She was knocked off her bike by this car and landed heavily on her right side. She felt severe pain in her right arm and on being admitted to hospital discovered that she had split her right shoulder blade and sustained multiple fractures of her right clavicle (this was her dominant arm). She was off work for 5 months following the accident and had to undergo 2 operations on her shoulder. The prognosis for the future is encouraging although it is likely that she will be left with some permanent residual symptoms which will impact on her life. Liability was admitted by the insurers of the other driver but there was a dispute on quantum and we had to issue proceedings at Court. We were then able to negotiate a settlement for her.

S J Edney solicitors obtained compensation of £90,000.00 for this client during 2011

 

Mother and child involved in RTA

We acted for a mother (aged 40) and her young son (aged 8) who were both involved in a road accident during October 2007 just outside Gloucester. Our client was driving and her little boy was a rear seat passenger. At one point, her car was stationary and struck from behind by a heavy goods vehicle causing it to be shunted forward. Our client sustained a whiplash injury and some psychological symptoms and was only able to work part-time from March 2008 up until March 2010 and not full-time as she had hoped. Her son suffered some psychological symptoms. The prognosis for both of them making a complete recovery was encouraging. Unfortunately, the insurers of the driver put forward a derisory offer in settlement in respect of both their claims and we had no option but to issue proceedings at Cheltenham County Court. We were then able to settle both their cases.

S J Edney Solicitors obtained damages of £20,000.00 for our client and £8,000.00 for her son during 2011

 

Soft tissue injury to left leg

We acted for the wife (aged 34) of a soldier based at Dalton barracks in Oxfordshire. On the 9 July 2010, she had to walk past the main guardroom, when the soldier on duty lowered the barrier and it inadvertently struck her left leg causing a soft tissue injury. It took her about 12 months before she was fully recovered from this injury. She did not suffer a loss of earnings. A letter of claim was sent on her behalf to the MOD and we were able to negotiate a settlement on her behalf.

S J Edney solicitors obtained compensation of £2,300.00 for this client during 2011

 

Accident at hotel

One of our clients (aged 58) who is registered disabled, stumbled on some defective steps while attending a social occasion on the 18 September 2010 at a hotel in Cheltenham. The steps in question gave way under his weight causing him to fall and land onto his right knee. Unfortunately, this accident aggravated a pre-existing condition of arthritis in his right knee by a period of about 18 months. He now needs knee replacement earlier than would have been the case but for his accident. A letter of claim was sent on his behalf to the insurers of the hotel and we were able to agree upon a settlement figure.

S J Edney solicitors obtained compensation of £12,500.00 for this client during 2011

 

Falling off a ladder

We acted for our client (aged 46) who worked at a warehouse in Swindon. On the 03 April 2009, she was asked by her manager to do some stock checks. To do so, she had to stand on a metal A-frame ladder. A fellow employee accidentally collided with the ladder causing her to lose her balance and fall, landing heavily on the ground. She sustained a number of soft tissue injuries including a minor head injury and a fractured metatarsal on her left hand. The client made a good recovery from all these injuries. A settlement was agreed without the need for us to issue proceedings.

S J Edney solicitors obtained compensation of £8,500.00 for this client during 2011