Compensation for man With Physical and Psychological Injuries After Collision

Posted on: 3 mins read
Susan Vanden

Partner, Road Traffic Accident Technical Manager

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We helped our client, who we’ll refer to as Mr. F, after he suffered a collision with another car that left him with long-lasting physical and psychological injuries.

Mr. F was in his car waiting for someone in front of him to perform a turn when another driver (the Defendant) drove into the back of his vehicle. Mr. F’s car was stationary at the time and so the impact caused him to jolt backwards and forwards in his seat, this was made worse by the fact the car’s airbags had not been deployed.

After the collision, Mr. F’s neck and shoulders immediately felt sore but he was able to get himself home and out of the car.

Initially, Mr. F was reluctant to go to hospital as he felt his injuries weren’t severe enough, but after a few days of worsening pain, he decided to see his GP. It was then that Mr. F was diagnosed with a whiplash injury to his neck and soft tissue injuries to his shoulders and upper back.

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How did Mr. F’s Injuries Affect his Quality of Life?

In the eighteen months after the accident, Mr. F continued to experience pain and stiffness in his neck without any significant improvement. This had a large impact on the way he carried out his daily activities.

In the past, Mr. F had enjoyed fishing and cycling but his injuries made it difficult for him to continue with these hobbies. He also struggled to interact with his young daughter as pushing her pram and engaging in playtime activities became too painful.

Mr. F has also experienced dizziness and balance problems together with severe pain following his accident which has led him to have three separate falls resulting in visits to the hospital. This dizziness was accompanied by headaches and ringing in both Mr. F’s ears.

In addition to his physical injuries, Mr. F has suffered psychologically as a result of the accident. Most prominently, he developed a tic disorder which initially presented as face rubbing, head jerking and nose twitching. As time went on, he also started to develop vocal tics like swearing, coughing and grunting.

Mr. F’s tics made it increasingly difficult for him to his job effectively and he has since made significant changes to the way he works, including making the decision to start working from home.

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How we Helped

It became clear after speaking to Mr. F that his accident had been a result of the other driver’s negligence. Around the time the collision took place, the Defendant was speeding and subsequently failed to keep control of the vehicle. We put this to the Defendant and they accepted full liability.

We then started to compile medical reports to attempt to show a causal link between Mr. F’s accident and the development of his tic disorder. Mr. F had also suffered with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) prior to his accident and this was shown to have gotten worse in the aftermath of the collision.

To help with his psychological health, Mr. F underwent Eye Movement Desensitisation and Processing treatment, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention. The cost of this treatment totalled around £2,800 which we outlined in Mr. F’s claim in addition to the travel expenses incurred while driving to and from each appointment.

For the first few months after the accident, Mr. F was assisted by his fiancé with daily tasks like cooking food, shopping, washing up and childcare. We factored this into our valuation of how much Mr. F should receive in compensation, claiming for 12 hours of care per week from the accident up until the birth of his youngest daughter.

The Outcome

Mr. F’s claim was settled before going to trial, the amount he accepted totalled £60,000.00.

Mr. F was advised and accepted that to prove that the accident was the cause of his tic condition (diagnosed as Tourette's) was extremely difficult and thus felt that the best way forward was to accept this offer and draw a line under his case.

If you’ve suffered an injury as a result of a road traffic accident, get in touch with our expert Road Traffic Accident Solicitors for initial advice.

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