£22,000 Compensation for RTA Head Injury

In this RTA case, our client was on a night out in Oldham when he was in a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) after being struck by a taxi. The Claimant sustained a head injury and losses due to the road traffic accident which occurred as he was walking between pubs in Oldham town centre.

Road Traffic Accident Compensation Claim

He was initially offered a £2,000 settlement for his head injuries but upon reviewing the case we strongly advised him against accepting the initial settlement due to his injuries. After rejecting the initial settlement our Personal Injury Solicitors fought the case for him, eventually settling out of court for £22,634.50 which included a small claim for loss of earnings and a minor claim for incidental expenses.

The RTA Claimant

Our client, was a 57 year old man who had been watching football and had arranged to meet a friend afterwards in another pub across the road.  The client remembers crossing the main road in Oldham but he does not remember the impact with the Defendant’s private hire vehicle. Fortunately for him there was a witness who happened to record the incident on his phone which assisted greatly with establishing liability for the Claimant.

He was bleeding from a head wound and had to be helped by a passerby before being taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital where he was kept overnight for observations of the head injury. In addition to his head injury, he also suffered severe back pain and an injury to his knee.

“Every case is a unique set of circumstances and when my client was examined by our medical expert 3 months after the accident he confirmed that he had recovered from his back and knee injuries by 4 weeks post- accident but his head injury had resulted in not only scarring but a loss of concentration.  In view of this the orthopaedic expert recommended a further report from a neurologist,” said Senior Road Traffic Accident Paralegal, Lisa Anderson.

“Upon examination by a neurologist it was noted that this accident had caused headaches and an impairment in attention and concentration which impacted my client’s ability to function at home and at work. A further report from a plastic surgeon in relation to his scarring confirmed the scars, although adequately healed, would remain a permanent feature on the right side of the Claimant’s forehead,” added Lisa.

It is not unusual to obtain medical expert opinions in personal injury cases such as this.  The expert reports, combined with the support of the video evidence of the passerby allowed the personal injury team at Pearson to establish liability and it was admitted by the Defendant’s insurers within three weeks of being notified of the Claimant’s intention to pursue a claim for injuries and losses.

“In this case shortly after the Defendant’s becoming aware of the Claimant’s claim they made a pre-medical examination offer to settle the whole of the Claimant’s claim in the sum of £2,000.00.  I advised him to reject this offer, at this early stage his outcome in terms of the injuries and the extent of his losses was unknown.

Settlement negotiations continued following the commissioning of all medical evidence and the claim settled after negotiations with the Defendant’s insurers for substantially more,” said Lisa

How can we help

For advice on any Personal Injury Claim, or if you have been injured in a road traffic accident contact our Personal Injury Solicitors on 0161 785 3500 or email enquiries@pearsonlegal.co.uk

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Please note that the information and opinions contained in this article are not intended to be comprehensive, nor to provide legal advice. No responsibility for its accuracy or correctness is assumed by Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers Ltd or any of its members or employees. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking, or refraining from taking, any action as a result of this article.

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