Our serious injury solicitors helped our client, Bart, secure compensation and retain his independence after he was injured in a road traffic collision.
Bart was riding a bicycle in East London on the way home when a car crashed into him at speed as he passed through a junction. The car that hit Bart was on the run from the police, which meant the police arrived at the scene moments later and helped Bart. The quick arrival of the police is one of the main reasons Bart is alive today.
Paramedics rushed him to the Major Trauma Centre at the Royal London Hospital. Bart had suffered a severe brain injury together with extensive physical injuries including skull and rib fractures.
Bart has since made an incredible recovery. This is in part due to the exceptional treatment he received from the medical staff at the Royal London Hospital. Bart’s family have expressed their gratitude to the hospital and its staff - they believe Bart may not be with us today if it wasn’t for their tireless work.
But while his road to recovery has been incredibly tough at times, he’s displayed remarkable resilience to get to where he is now.
Despite still needing support, Bart’s physical health and mental cognition has made significant progress. He’s now able to make more decisions himself again.
How We Helped
The day after his accident, Bart’s family were told that he would be severely disabled and unable to talk if he survived his accident. Because of this, a medical professional at the hospital recommended Bart’s family get in touch with our specialist brain injury team to see if we could help.
Serious injury solicitor, Lauren Hurney, listened to Bart’s story and believed he could make a claim. The claim would be against the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) as the driver was uninsured. Lauren began investigating the accident and collecting medical evidence about Bart’s injuries from independent experts.
After submitting the claim to the MIB, they initially tried to argue that Bart was partially responsible for the accident as he wasn’t wearing a helmet, but Lauren’s evidence at trial proved otherwise. After trial, we secured interim compensation payments to cover Bart’s medical and rehabilitation costs as well as his loss of income. The total settlement we got for Bart also gave him great financial security for the future.
The compensation has also allowed him to retain his independence and live in his own house. Bart was going to be sent to a nursing home, but we pushed for him to move back into his own flat, with a specialist support team. From that point on, Bart continued to make amazing gains beyond anyone’s expectations, instead of being bed-bound for life.
Bart’s family also asked our Court of Protection team to help manage Bart’s affairs. His injuries left him without the mental capacity to manage his finances himself.
We now act as Bart’s deputy and make important financial decisions in his best interests on his behalf. The Court of Protection team worked with the litigation team to help Bart push forwards with his rehabilitation. Bart has a dedicated case manager, 24 hour support team and therapists who have worked extensively with him on his recovery since his accident.
More recently, we helped Bart to buy a new home. His case manager and a multi-disciplinary team adapted Bart’s new home with smart technology to meet his needs.
Bart’s enjoyed working with his team to furnish and decorate his new property. Bart’s parents and extended family visit him often, and they also now have a base very close by to his new home.
Not Letting The Crash Hold Him Back
Bart’s been through a long process of recovery and rehabilitation following his crash, but this hasn’t held him back in his plans. As a celebration of how far he’s come with his rehabilitation, Bart is taking part in a five kilometre Park Run in the summer of 2021.
Bart became an avid supporter of Park Run since his accident, volunteering there at the weekends to help with organising and to cheer on the runners. Before the pandemic, he also enjoyed helping out at a local café in London.
“It’s been a long road to recovery for Bart but, his determination has been inspiring. It’s been an honour to have been alongside Bart in his recovery. Bart’s five kilometre run is a true measure of how far he’s come and we can’t wait to see how much further he can go. We are very proud and delighted to have been asked to run alongside him for his Park Run” - Victoria Ward, IM Court of Protection Team Solicitor
Through completing the run, Bart hopes to raise funds for Brainbook, a cause close to his heart. Bart has a fundraising page where he’s raising money for the charity. Brainbook aims to improve public understanding of brain injuries and diseases and fund medical research. Any donations are welcome:
Bart De Putter is fundraising for Brainbook (justgiving.com)
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or need help managing their affairs, our solicitors may be able to help. See our Serious Injury Claims and Court of Protection pages for more information, or call our friendly team on 0370 1500 100 for a confidential chat.
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