We have recently acted on behalf of a young man who suffered a leg amputation following a road accident. He was a motorcyclist on his way to work when a car suddenly pulled into his path, causing him to be thrown about 30 feet.
Case history
The question of liability (or fault for the accident) was in dispute throughout the case (despite the fact that the Defendant was prosecuted by the police and pleaded guilty to the offence of Driving Without Due Care and Attention)
After the accident, our client was taken by ambulance to St George’s Hospital, where he was put in an induced coma for almost 2 weeks. He underwent surgery and, although the doctors did their best to save his leg, they were ultimately unsuccessful and so they had to perform a below knee amputation.
Rehabilitation
Moore Barlow was able to secure extensive rehabilitation for the client. A specialist amputation rehabilitation manager was appointed to co-ordinate the rehabilitation. Our client had been provided with a prosthetic limb on the NHS, but he found this to be very uncomfortable and it caused skin breakdown. The rehabilitation that we secured for him included the provision of multiple prostheses in the private sector (including an advanced microprocessor foot). It included musculo-skeletal physiotherapy and prosthetic physiotherapy, occupational therapy, gym membership, a personal trainer and counselling. Adaptations were made to his home, including an adapted bathroom, and the Defendant insurance company were also persuaded to fund a rehabilitation assistant to support him with the intensive rehab that was needed to ensure the best medical outcome.
Phantom limb pain
One symptom that is often experienced by people who have had a leg amputation following a road accident, is ‘phantom limb pain’, where the patient feels that they are experiencing pain in the limb that is no longer there. Our client unfortunately experienced this, however the rehab sought to address this and the pain gradually improved.
Expert evidence
We assembled a team of leading medical experts to provide detailed reports for the legal case. These included a rehabilitation consultant, orthopaedic consultant, prosthetics expert, physiotherapy expert, psychiatrist, accommodation expert and a care expert. An accident reconstruction expert provided helpful evidence on the issue of liability for the accident.
Outcome of case
At the end of the case, we were able to secure for our client a significant seven figure sum of compensation. He has various needs arising from his severe injuries, including a need for single storey, adapted accommodation, multiple prostheses (some of which can cost as much as £100,000 and which need to be replaced at regular intervals over a person’s life), therapies and care needs. The compensation that we were able to secure for him will be vital to ensure that these needs can be met for the rest of his life and to ensure that he is able to enjoy a reasonable quality of life.
The settlement was achieved at a ‘without prejudice’ (off the record) meeting with the Defendant’s legal representatives, which avoided putting our client through the stress of a court trial.
Despite what he had gone through, our client maintained throughout an optimistic, resilient outlook and showed great commitment and dedication in his rehab regime. Everyone at Moore Barlow who acted for him was incredibly impressed by his strength of character and amazing attitude.
Moore Barlow solicitors Matthew Tuff, Sophie Winstanley and Hannah Nelmes acted for the client.
How Moore Barlow can help
At Moore Barlow, our reputation as leading amputation claim solicitors is grounded in a blend of unparalleled expertise and genuine compassion. We pride ourselves on harnessing years of deep-rooted experience in amputation compensation claims, allowing us to navigate the complexities of each case with confidence and precision.