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Accident Victims - Is Your Stiff Upper Lip Realistic?

Many brave accident victims approach their misfortune with an admirable belief that they will make a full recovery given time. However, such a stoical approach is not always realistic and, as one High Court case showed, it makes sense to keep the possibility of seeking compensation firmly in mind.

The case concerned a woman in her 20s who had been involved in a road accident when she was a small child. She suffered very serious injuries, including a fractured skull, and almost died. In the years since, however, she had made a remarkable recovery and hoped to complete a university degree course.

Tests performed years after the accident, however, revealed that she had suffered permanent brain damage and will always suffer mild cognitive difficulties. In those circumstances, her family instructed specialist solicitors who negotiated a £2.95 million settlement of her claim against motor insurers. £115,000 of that sum will be paid to the woman's parents as some compensation for their past care and expense. The Court approved the compromise as entirely sensible.

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