I was so pleased it was over and I didn’t have to face the ordeal of a trial…

I was the front seat passenger in a car driven by my husband, It was a cold December evening. Suddenly we saw a car was heading towards us on our side of road he could do nothing  the next thing there was an almighty bang. I can remember a deathly silence and stillness.

I can also remember thinking that my leg was broken because if I tried to place it on the floor I could feel the bones move, I also had intense pain in my neck, I spoke to my husband but he didn’t reply, I thought he was dead, I started to panic, I couldn’t breathe. Thankfully my husband came too and was able to phone 999. When they arrived they could not get me out of the car, they had to cut the roof off. I was taken to hospital. I was told I had broken my Tibia and Fibula, I had surgery the next day.

My leg never healed properly, the bones did not unite, unfortunately this could not be treated because I developed a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, the surgeon would not operate again as it would make the condition worse. The pain gets so bad at times that I have seriously thought about having the leg amputated. I do not exaggerate when I say it is the most unbearable thing I have ever suffered, it takes over and controls your whole life, it swells and changes colour, it can feel too hot, and too cold, the pain can be so excruciating that you cannot allow anything even the lightest fabric to touch it. I cannot sleep because of the pain.

When I started the claim, my insurer appointed a lawyer to pursue the claim. Initially liability for the accident was admitted, but suddenly we were notified that the admission was withdrawn and they would defend the claim saying that the driver lost control of the car on ice so it was just an unfortunate accident. I had never been impressed by the lawyer I had been appointed so I told my insurer that I wanted to appoint a different lawyer, I had used Attwaters before and I wanted to instruct them. My insurers agreed and Attwaters took on my case. I felt much more confident in how they were handling the case, I was advised to continue with the claim against the other driver, and eventually liability was admitted again.

My lawyer secured interim payments to help us financially and to fund the cost of a Residential Pain Management Course to help me to live with and manage the symptoms of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Every aspect of my life had been affected by the injuries, I could no longer run my business, and I needed help with many everyday tasks. My lawyer calculated all of my past and future losses and expenses and submitted the evidence to the Defendant, the Defendants obtained their own expert evidence and made their own calculations and raised various disputes with the claim I had submitted. The case was listed for trial. My lawyer advised me to offer a Joint Settlement Meeting, I agreed. We scheduled a daylong meeting, I was represented by my lawyer and Barrister, various offers were made throughout the day, and eventually we reached agreement. I was really happy with the settlement, I was compensated for my injuries, the financial impact my injuries had on my business and my other past and future losses and expenses.  I was so pleased it was over and I didn’t have to face the ordeal of a trial. I really appreciate the help and guidance I got from Attwaters to get through the whole thing, they were great.