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The son of a PCS member now aged 23 has received £950,000 for multiple head injuries sustained in a road traffic accident in February 2003.
At the time of the accident the member’s son was 16 years old and a rear seat passenger in a vehicle driven by a friend. The teenager, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and had his compensation reduced by 25% as a result, was ejected from the rear window of the vehicle when it left the road and struck a wall and a lamppost.
His injuries were immediately severe including an epileptic seizure, multiple fractures of the skull and a brain haemorrhage which led to him being in intensive care for 10 days. There have also been long term consequences, the most severe of which was that the member’s son was no longer able to manage his own affairs due to his brain injury.
Life-changing injuries
Although the member’s son returned to work four months after the accident it became clear after only a few weeks he could not continue due to his inability to concentrate. After a series of seizures he was readmitted to hospital with continuing memory loss, concentration impairment, loss of confidence, travel anxiety and anger, frustration and depression. All of these had been caused by the injury to the brain. The final settlement reflected an agreed long term need for care, a reduced life expectancy reduced by 14 years and a life long dependency on anti epilepsy medication.
The PCS member said of the union’s legal service: “This has been a life changing experience not just for our son but for the family too. Our son was a young man at the start of his career one day, and hospitalised and in need of permanent care the next. The union’s legal service stepped in and has been first class. At no cost to us PCS gave us access to the UK’s most experienced title="Personal Injury">personal injury law firm - and that experience has really counted. Every parent’s nightmare has been eased by the professionalism Thompsons Solicitors has shown.”
Phil Madelin, National Legal Services Officer of PCS said: “The union’s personal injury legal service covers not just members for any accident but members' families too for non work accidents. This is a good example of what the union can offer, protecting a family at its most vulnerable.”
James Davies of Thompsons Solicitors said: “This was an horrific crash that left a young man with very severe injuries. The case involved multiple experts many of whom needed time to report so that they could fully assess the impact of the injuries to the brain. We are confident that we have been successful in obtaining the maximum damages for him that also reflect his need for long term care from his family”