The impact

Phil was in hospital for just 24 hours.

“I was slung out at 9 o’clock on a freezing cold night. When you have been in a car accident you know it’s going to hurt but I didn’t know if this level of pain was expected. Over the Christmas period I was really struggling. I was trying to walk around because, at that time, I didn’t know there was anything particularly wrong with my leg.

“I was feeling dizzy and sick but thought, I need to get a grip.”

Getting a second opinion

The pain worsened and Phil went to see a private consultant.

The doctor told him that walking around on a broken leg for a few weeks would have just compounded the issue.

“That’s how I really got back into the health system and that’s how they unearthed the full extent of my injuries,” Phil said.

“On the night the accident happened they scanned my brain and spine. We all thought they would have done a full body scan, but they hadn’t.”

Making a personal injury claim

“A lot of people say, you have had an accident so you will be good for a payout. But it wasn’t really the uppermost thing in my mind. Things changed when I was readmitted and they told me that my leg was in a bad way. They couldn’t operate on it straight away because it had gone too far.

“They said to me it could be two to five years down the line, but I would need a new knee.

“I knew I wouldn’t be high up on the NHS waiting list because of my age so that was my motivation to get in touch and start to make a claim.

Phil’s treatment was initially covered by his wife’s private healthcare plan she had through her employer. However, he was aware this would not cover any future treatment he would so desperately need to be able to continue to work and lead an active lifestyle.

Express Solicitors

“Somebody mentioned Express Solicitors and said, just try them. I would normally do plenty of research, but I was focusing on my recovery and didn’t have time to do that, so I did just try them.

“It was really important to me to get somebody who could not only do the job but was going to listen and pay attention and from that point on do what they said they were going to do.

“Express did that. At a time when I really needed it, they were there. When something like this comes up in life it’s all new and as much as you would hate to admit it, you’re quite vulnerable. You are told about customer service and all of that sort of stuff, but it’s important that people do the things that they say they’re going to do. Express did exactly that.”

Finding the right solicitor

Adele Greenough, RTA Partner at Express Solicitors, was allocated Phil’s case.

“Adele’s been fantastic. Her expertise is beyond question. She struck the perfect balance of showing her expertise while conveying it to me in layman’s terms.

“She would always contact me at the time she said she would, which was really important.

“She would explain things and I never felt that there was pressure.

“It was a supportive process, one that I felt I was in control of, but very much with her support and expertise to back it up.”

Personal injury lawyers

“My view of personal injury lawyers has changed. Everybody has got their view of lawyers and knows the label ‘ambulance chasers’ but in my experience, I felt there was compassion and it was person-centred. I can’t see how it could have been any better. In my experience they were spot on.”

Impact

Phil was also supported by his employer throughout his recovery.

“I’m really lucky. That’s one of the benefits of working for a charity. They told me to take all the time you need.

“I couldn’t move for two to three months and there were various elements to my rehabilitation. Even though I work from home the majority of the time, the fatigue and the mental stress of it all took a while.

“In my head I’m still in my early 30s and pretty resilient, but the fatigue side of it was quite shocking.”

Rehabilitation

“My leg was quite badly broken in three places, so I’m really lucky I can walk, and my hand doesn’t quite work as well as it did because I can’t grip in quite the same way.

“I have had physiotherapy on both shoulders, my neck and leg for about seven months.

“The amount of treatment I had on the NHS was relatively little.”

Compensation

Adele and her team made a claim against the driver of the vehicle and their insurer on Phil’s behalf. By piecing together what had unfolded and collecting as much medical evidence as possible, the defendant admitted liability and a swift resolution was reached to ensure Phil received compensation to support his recovery, cover lost earnings and fund future treatment.

A six-figure settlement was awarded – more than double the original offer.

Adele said: “Phil has been a lovely client to represent. I am delighted we have managed to secure a good result for him. His case is a great example of how making a personal injury claim can help facilitate and speed up recovery, enabling claimants to return to work and get back on their feet, and in his case, to a career I know he loves and finds particularly rewarding.”