Stewarts’ client RC sustained a life-changing brain injury at the age of 25 in a road traffic collision when crossing the road near her home. Chris Smith, a partner in our Personal Injury department, conducted the claim on behalf of RC and was assisted by senior associate Nickie Maple-Pearson, associate James Philpott and paralegal Rosie Sarang.

RC’s incident

RC was crossing the road following a night at the theatre in London with friends. She had taken the bus home, and as she walked around the back of the bus and began to cross, the defendant drove his Ford Transit Custom Van into RC.

The defendant driver was driving in excess of the 20mph speed limit and admitted to consuming alcohol on the day of the collision.

RC instructed Stewarts to bring a claim against the defendant driver, and Gerard McDermott KC and Will Young of Outer Temple Chambers were instructed as barristers.

Liability was never formally admitted by the defendants.

Injuries sustained and the impact on RC’s life

At the time of the collision, RC was at the start of an incredibly promising career. She had an outstanding academic background, achieving stellar grades from the start of her studies. RC attended two Russell Group universities for her undergraduate and postgraduate studies, achieving excellent grades and commendations in both.

After university, RC worked in the public sector and continued to climb the career ladder, frequently impressing her employer and demonstrating her incredible intellectual abilities. RC eventually wanted to progress into the private sector.

RC sustained a severe traumatic brain injury in the collision, including a traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage and intraventricular haemorrhage. In addition, RC sustained multiple fractures.

Admission to hospital

Following the collision, RC spent just under two months in hospital, where she received intensive inpatient treatment.

Due to RC’s fractures and the healing process, her apartment was not suitable for her needs. Her family rallied round to partially renovate RC’s flat to ensure that she could live independently to some extent following her discharge from hospital.

Rehabilitation

The defendant’s solicitors and insurer took a collaborative approach throughout the litigation, agreeing to fund the recommended rehabilitation under the Rehabilitation Code.

Interim payments were made to RC to assist with her loss of earnings while she was off work.

The focal point of RC’s rehabilitation was the psychological input she received. This focused on easing the anxieties and mental health issues she was living with after the collision. Throughout RC’s time with her neuropsychologist, she opened up more, and her anxieties were eased, assisting her with a phased return to work to ensure that the performance level she was at was not slipping dramatically.

Experts and settlement

To enable the assessment of RC’s prognosis and long-term needs, both parties obtained expert evidence from a variety of experts.

Stewarts instructed experts to cover RC’s orthopaedic injuries and brain injury, including an orthopaedic expert, neurology expert, neuropsychology expert, neuropsychiatry expert and a care and occupational therapy expert.

A seven-figure settlement was agreed to assist in achieving RC’s lifelong needs.

Life beyond injury

Following the settlement, RC is looking forward with confidence and optimism. She has recently married and has successfully returned to her pre‑incident role full time, a milestone that reflects both her determination and the stability the settlement has provided.

RC has continued to thrive professionally and was awarded the highest performance rating in her most recent end‑of‑year review, underlining her achievement in rebuilding her career after the collision. She now has the reassurance that she has sufficient financial security to meet her needs for the rest of her life, allowing her to focus on the future with certainty.

Testimonial

RC says:

“I wanted to send a huge thank you for your support over these past few years. There have been a few ups and downs on the way, but I really couldn’t have imagined a better outcome. I can very clearly attribute this to your expertise as lawyers and negotiators. I am grateful to you for staying confident in my case, even when we faced setbacks, and for your outlook, which gave me confidence in the process. My parents and I grew to trust in your judgment fully and follow your guidance as the case progressed.

“I particularly appreciated your professionalism and your responsiveness throughout. As I said to Chris earlier today, I am almost sad to have wrapped up our work together, as it was a big reassurance to have you with me during my recovery. The work you do is meaningful and can make a real difference to the lives of your clients. I know that this rings true in my case.”