In a very sad case, we were acting for the driver and his passenger (1) together with the estate of his second passenger (2) who was killed in the road accident during September 2007. The driver had collected his mother-in-law (who was aged 87) at the time from a nursing home in Purton, Swindon and was taking her for an eye check-up at the Malmesbury Hospital also in Wiltshire. Although frail, she was still mentally alert. As they approach a junction controlled by traffic lights, a Royal Mail lorry travelling in the opposite direction to their car suddenly turned into their path causing a collision between both vehicles. The driver and his passenger (1) sustained soft tissue injuries but unfortunately his elderly passenger (2) suffered a number of serious fractures including a fracture to her sternum and left arm. Whilst at hospital, she contracted MRSA and C.Dif and in December 2007 she died from a pulmonary embolism which we argued only happened because of her earlier accident.
The insurers of Royal Mail initially disputed liability and maintained that our client who was driving was to blame. We issued proceedings at Court and this coincided with the Inquest when the evidence quite clearly showed that the Royal Mail driver was to blame. A settlement was then achieved for our three clients.
S J Edney solicitors obtained £32,000.00 compensation for these clients in 2009; breakdown as follows:
- Driver : £6,000
- Passenger 1: £5,000
- Passenger 2 (i.e. her Estate): £21,000