At a recent High Court hearing, Richard Kimblin KC (Sitting as a Deputy Judge) approved the settlement of a claim for damages brought by our client, James, who sustained a life-changing, severe traumatic brain injury when he was struck by a car while crossing the road in February 2022.
At the time of the collision, James was a talented drama student and was in his third year of a drama degree at university.
The defendant driver pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was sentenced at the beginning of February 2023.
James’s mother, Sarah, instructed International Injury partner Scott Rigby, associate Olivia Shaw and trainee solicitors Gemma Laing and Brogan Pennington to pursue James’s personal injury claim.
James was also represented by counsel, Charlotte Reynolds and Peter Hale of 12 King’s Bench Walk.
Maximising early compensation to support rehabilitation needs after injury
During the claim, Stewarts swiftly secured significant interim payments to provide funding for his rehabilitation and to secure suitable rented accommodation. Throughout the case, the defendant’s insurer and legal representatives, Catherine Kober, a partner at Keoghs and Paul Cross, a technical claims manager at Tesco Bank, worked collaboratively with Stewarts. This enabled James to maximise his recovery from his injuries and even allowed him to resume his drama studies. It is a testament to James’s courage and resilience that he graduated earlier this summer, having completed his degree.
Securing maximum compensation for claimant’s lifelong care and support needs
Following negotiations between the parties in May 2025, it was agreed that James would receive a multi-million pound damages settlement.
The settlement will enable James to live as independently as possible, ensuring that his lifelong needs will be met.
Scott Rigby says:
“I’m delighted we have managed to conclude James’s claim so swiftly, following what were extremely serious, life-changing injuries. I would like to pay tribute to Catherine Kober and Paul Cross for the collaborative approach they adopted, which contributed enormously to the excellent recovery James has made.
“I would also like to recognise the staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Moseley Hall Hospital for their incredible care of James following his accident and the work of James’s case manager, Becky Filer-Cooper at Community Case Management Services, for putting together an incredible multi-disciplinary team, which continued the excellent work of their NHS colleagues. Finally, I would like to pay tribute to James’s parents and siblings who have provided unstinting support and made countless selfless sacrifices to support James since his accident.”
James’s mum says:
“Like most people, we have never had the need for a solicitor, but when James’ injury happened and our world fell apart it was Scott and his team that we turned to.
I fully believe that James’ amazing recovery was, in no small way, due to Scott getting the interim settlements which paid for very early, specialist intervention for him.
Scott and his team were sensitive, patient and so very kind to our whole family. As James’ recovery progressed, they became friendly and fun… making an arduous process more bearable!
I can never thank Scott, Olivia, Gemma and Brogan enough, and I would recommend them without hesitation… although I really hope the need never arises!”
How we can help with your road traffic collision claim
If you or someone close to you has been affected by a road traffic collision, our expert Personal Injury and International Injury teams are here to assist.
Contact us for more information.
You can find further information regarding our expertise, experience and team on our International Injury page.
If you require assistance from our team, please contact us.
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