We helped Matthew claim compensation and access to the support he needed after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a road traffic accident.
What happened to Matthew?
Matthew and his colleague were returning home after working overnight in Dunfermline. It was a freezing night, with the temperature at around –10 degrees.
Matthew was the passenger, and his head was leaning against the passenger window. The driver lost control of the vehicle and drove into the side of a bridge.
Matthew was taken to Wishaw General Hospital and then transferred to the National Spinal Injury Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow. There, Matthew was diagnosed as having a lumbar spinal cord injury, having fractured two vertebrae, L2 and L4. He needed surgery to insert two rods and four screws into his spine.
How has this impacted Matthew’s life?
The physical impacts on Matthew’s life include a loss of sensation around his pelvis and waist. He’s unable to tell when he needs to use the toilet. Matthew now needs to self-catheterise every four hours and manually empty his bowls each morning.
Matthew lost over two stone in the four months following his injury and lost muscle strength. He was constantly feeling weak and fatigued.
Matthew struggles with sleeping because of the pain and discomfort and the fact he needs to self-catheterise during the night.
He experienced high levels of pain. Matthew could only walk short distances, and far more slowly than before his injury. He had to use bannisters to go up and down stairs and couldn’t stand for any time without discomfort. Because of this, he couldn’t play with his children.
A big concern for Matthew was how his future would look, including:
- The impact of his injury on his relationship with his children and the likelihood of future children
- His impaired sexual function
- His levels of pain
- How long he may need to manage bladder and bowel care and whether any improvement can be expected.
How did Irwin Mitchell help Matthew?
Matthew came to our personal injury team to claim compensation for the injuries he sustained in the accident. David Bell and Fraser Watson supported Matthew.
Fraser started by arranging an Initial Needs Assessment. This assessment helps identify what support Matthew could benefit from. We also instructed a private psychological, physical, and occupational therapist.
Matthew couldn’t work after the accident, which meant he and his family were losing out on monthly income. We were able to get interim payments which covered the four months of lost earnings after the accident.
After presenting our case to the defender a substantial six-figure settlement was offered. Matthew advised that, as he was making a good recovery, he would like to accept the offer. He was keen to use the money to buy a new home for his family and start to move on with his life, leaving the accident behind him.
Expert opinion
On Matthew’s claim, David said: “Matthew’s life was completely changed after the accident. He was concerned about his future and his ability to look after and play with his children.
“Matthew was delighted with the outcome of his case and now he can concentrate on continuing his recovery and look to move forward with his life.”
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