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A woman whose car was shunted by a van which had been hit from behind by a bus has been awarded compensation of £3,000 after suffering injuries to her neck. Ms Louise Brown, 31, of Consett, County Durham, was assisted with her claim by Unite the union and Thompsons Solicitors.
On the 17th of October 2006, Ms Brown, who at the time of the accident worked as an estate agent with Reeds Rains in Stanley, was driving her company car. As she made her way back to the office, Ms Brown entered the A693 between Anfield Plain and Stanley where traffic was stationary, waiting for traffic lights to turn green.
As Ms Brown waited in the queue, her car was suddenly hit from behind by a van which in turn had been hit by a bus operated by Go North East. Ms Brown was subsequently taken to the Dryburn Hospital in Durham where she was checked by medical staff. A few days later Ms Brown suffered with neck pain and headaches and was later confirmed as having whiplash.
Whiplash Injuries
Commenting, Ms Brown said: “It was a shock. I was sitting in my car and all of a sudden I was thrown forward by the impact of the van. Thankfully I didn’t hit any other vehicles in front of me which may have made the situation even worse. My injuries were slight, but they were painful and could have been worse.”
Jimmy Kelly, target="_blank" title="Unite">Unite Regional Secretary, comments: “We’re relieved for our member Ms Brown that this case has settled successfully. Whiplash injuries are often underestimated, but their impact can be severe.”
Representing Ms Brown at Thompsons Solicitors, Nicola Waugh, said: “The insurers initially tried to settle this case for just £500.00, arguing that this was a ‘low speed impact’ situation involving and that any injuries were therefore trivial. The fact is that my client sustained injuries and was duly compensated after court proceedings were issued.”