Road accidents ruin lives, but specialist lawyers are thankfully there to ensure that innocent victims receive just compensation. In one case, a 72-year-old man who was struck by a car while crossing the road near his home won more than £700,000 in damages.
The pensioner enjoyed a fully independent life prior to the accident, but his injuries have reduced him to a shadow of his former self. Although he has made a reasonable recovery from his multiple orthopaedic injuries, damage to his brain has left his memory severely impaired.
His capacity to make decisions for himself has been compromised and he has little insight into his condition. Deprived of his independence, he has become heavily dependent on local authority-funded care, complemented by his son.
Proceeding were brought against the driver’s motor insurers, which admitted liability in full for the accident. Following negotiations, they agreed to settle his claim for a lump sum of £740,098.
Approving the settlement, the High Court found that it represented a sensible and realistic assessment of the full value of the man’s claim. Due to pre-existing health problems, his life expectancy was already somewhat reduced before the accident, but his injuries are likely to shorten his life further. The Court praised the man’s son for the care he had given him, and expressed the hope that the settlement would enable him to enjoy as good a life as possible in the circumstances.
