A mother and daughter were shopping in Guildford Town Centre on 23 October 2015. As they were walking towards the Friary Centre they were involved in a serious collision in which an elderly driver had mounted the pavement. A number of people were injured.
Moore Barlow acted for 3 of the victims including the Mother and Daughter who were both physically and psychologically injured and we were able to secure them compensation as part of their personal injury claims against the driver.
Our solicitors managed to obtain compensation for the Father and Husband who suffered psychological injuries only. This is a complicated area of law as there are a number of legal tests to prove;
- A Claimant must establish ‘a close tie of love and affection’ with the person injured or endangered. (This was proved as the Claimant was the Father of his Daughter who was injured and the Husband of his Wife who was also injured in the accident).
- There must be proximity to the incident in terms of time and space. (This was proved as the Claimant was at the scene of the accident).
- The Claimant must have suffered a psychiatric injury as a result of directly hearing or seeing the accident or its immediate aftermath. (The Claimant suffered nightmares and flashbacks for a number of months after the accident).
Pedestrian road traffic accidents are often caused by dangerous or careless driving and the implications to the injured person(s) can be very serious and extensive.
If you have any questions about the above or require any further information, please contact the one of the team on 01483 543210.