£308,000 awarded for fractured sternum

£308,000 was awarded to 59-year-old man following a fractured bone compensation claim made after road accident.

Circumstances

The claimant was involved in a head on collision with a driver who died as a result of the collision. The deceased driver was uninsured. He was responsible for the collision. A claim was made by the claimant against the deceased driver's estate and also against the Motor Insurers Bureau.

The Motor Insurers Bureau investigate claims involving uninsured or untraced drivers. The Bureau pays compensation to people injured by uninsured drivers from a fund supported by a portion of every road user's insurance premium.

Liability

Liability for the accident was not disputed by the Motor Insurers Bureau following access to the Police investigations and report into the collision.

Injuries and Progression

The claimant was kept in Hospital for four nights following the accident. He suffered fractures to his ribs, a soft tissue injury to his wrist and a fractured sternum. At the time of the accident the claimant was working as an Electrical Contractor on a self employed basis.

Despite having extensive treatment to try improve the symptoms in his chest, including physiotherapy the claimant did not completely recover. The claimant's job was a very physical occupation. He initially returned to work on a part time basis but found that working in such a physical occupation aggravated his symptoms. In addition he simply could not carry out heavy lifting.

The claimant ceased working as an electrician as he could lift above shoulder height. He had restricted movement and problems lifting heavy items. His restricted movements in his chest/shoulder region were permanent. The claimant was left with continuing pain in his chest. This even effected his sleep patterns continually.

Settlement

The claimant's solicitors entered into negotiations with the Motor Insurers Bureau to try agree a settlement. Subsequently a Judge approved a overall settlement for the claimant's damages of £308,000.

Of this sum £19,000 was awarded for the claimant's pain suffering and loss of amenity. The remainder of the settlement related to care provided to the claimant, loss of earnings and future loss of earnings.

Disclaimer

Case studies are for informational purposes only and aim to help prospective claimants understand the injury claim process. They are based on cases handled by Quittance panel solicitors or sourced from public court records.