24-year-old receives over £1million after sustaining catastrophic injuries in accident

The man was just 18 at the time of the accident which happened when he fell from a fire escape. He suffered a severe traumatic brain injury with ongoing neuro-cognitive disorder with behavioural disturbance.

The extent of his injuries

He was found unconscious at the scene of the accident and on arrival at the hospital he had a seizure. CT scans showed that he had a traumatic brain injury with multiple bleeds on the brain.

He was operated on later that same day and he underwent a procedure to insert a bolt into his skull followed by further surgery to remove a portion of his skull to assist with the swelling.

He sustained severe scarring as a result of emergency surgery on his brain and changes to the appearance of his skull, misalignment of ears and a large and visible scar on the scalp. He suffered complications whilst an in-patient including a cardiac arrest.

At the time of settlement, he continued to complain of long and short-term memory deficits, memory fatigue, headaches, problems with concentration and a deterioration in his mood which are in keeping with a severe traumatic brain injury. In addition, he reports symptoms of mild depression and moderate anxiety which in part results in concerns over the cosmetic appearance.

Long term impact

As a consequence of the constellation of symptoms, it is expected that he will not be able to work full-time and shall represent a risk to psychological wellbeing and potential burnout. The Claimant contends that he is disabled for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.

He also experienced a mild weakness to his left (non-dominant) side. He has an ongoing risk of developing epilepsy and ought to respond to anticonvulsants should the risk materialise.

Rakhi Chauhan, Senior Solicitor, said: “This was a very unfortunate yet serious accident which sadly, left my client with long lasting injuries.

“The case itself was complex and involved a range of medical experts on both sides in order to establish the true extent of the Claimant’s injuries. Overtime, the Claimant has made remarkable progress with the benefit of a multi-disciplinary rehabilitation programme put in place, however the Claimant will continue to suffer lifelong implications.

“The parties worked collaboratively in order to reach a resolution of the claim and I’m pleased to say that after an eight hour hard fought Joint Settlement Meeting, the case came to a successful conclusion which will now enable the Claimant to re-build their life.”

The client said: “I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the hard work you have done on my case. You (Fletchers) can’t comprehend how much I appreciate it and how thankful I am. It really does mean the world to me.”

He received £1,100,000 (gross) total damages for the catastrophic injuries. Liability for the accident was disputed and compromised on a 75/25 basis in the Claimant’s favour.