Zebra crossing collision with mum and son leads to a £250,000 settlement.  

Settlement: £250,000 

Legal team on the case: Brian Robinson, Katie Davies and Bethany Sinclair in our Serious Injury Law team. 

Below we share our client’s story after a motorcyclist crashed into her and her son as they tried to cross the road at a zebra crossing on their way to school one morning. Our serious injury team secured a 6 figure settlement for our client, whose life was significantly impacted by this accident. Our legal teams expertise on this case has allowed our client to move forward with their life, access much-needed rehabilitation, and attain closure on what they went through.

A typical morning school run  

At Fletchers, our solicitors are experts in navigating legal disputes following a serious accident. We understand the profound impact a serious injury can have on your life – that’s why we are here to help you seek the compensation you deserve.   

Many parents choose to walk their children to school during school term, a great way to get some exercise and chat to your child before they go to school for the day.  

In this case, our client – a mother – was doing exactly that, walking the same route she walked every day in her local area in Croydon, to drop her son off at school for the day.  

A collision at a pedestrian crossing  

However, their morning went from a typical walk to school, to a day that left her and her son sustaining serious injuries, when a moped scooter driver crashed into them, knocking them both to the floor.  

Concerningly, our client was doing everything right as a pedestrian – taking care to cross the road at a zebra crossing, making sure to look both ways multiple times, and crossing safely as there was no oncoming traffic at the time. However, the defendant was driving at a speed that was deemed excessive in a built-up residential area and failed to brake, steer or otherwise control their vehicle to avoid a collision. 

A mother left unable to take care of her children  

The incident left the client with an array of injuries, including soft tissue injuries to her neck, right upper leg, right ankle, left arm, left elbow and left calf. However, the most alarming injury she sustained from the collision was a head injury, that left her struggling with episodes of extreme fatigue, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, tinnitus and a loss of taste and smell for a period of time.  

Her son also sustained soft tissue damage to his arms and legs as a result of the incident, the case is being treated separately as he is a minor and is still ongoing at this moment in time.  

The incident had a profound impact on the client’s day-to-day life. As a normally highly energetic stay-at-home mum to two children, she was unable to carry out her usual tasks and be the hands-on parent she usually was. This led to her mother and mother-in-law temporarily moving into her home, in a bid to help out whilst she took time to recover – with one of them travelling over from Italy to do so.  

Additionally, the family suffered significant financial strain, as her husband – who worked long hours running his own business – had to take a significant amount of time off to support our client’s recovery. Our client was also in the process of seeking employment at the time of the incident, which greatly delayed her ability to find a new job.  

A denial of liability from the defendant  

The defendant, which happened to be the local council, denied all liability throughout the claim – despite the evidence being stacked against them.  

Despite the repeated and aggressive denial of liability, our team; Brain Robinson, Katie Davies and Bethany Sinclair, fought hard to secure the justice our client deserved.  

In response to the letter of claim, the defendant argued that our client had actually walked into the road with her child in the full knowledge that a vehicle was passing through. This argument, that was based in no truth, was quickly refuted by our legal team, who had gathered witness statements as evidence to the contrary.  

A huge win for Fletchers Solicitors, despite defendant denials  

The case eventually went to trial, where it was issued to high court in London. In the early stages of the trial, the defendant was still refusing to accept any liability.  

However, eventually, the weight of the claim against the defendant, and the work our team had put in to bring such a strong case forward came to light.  

The evidence was firmly against the defendant, and eventually, the defence made an offer of £250,000 to settle the case – which our client accepted in full.   

Building a new ‘normal’ in the aftermath of injury 

Thankfully, our client is back to living her life as normally as she is able, following her traumatic experience and tumultuous legal battle. As part of her settlement, a full rehabilitation programme was also secured, which enabled our client to make a full recovery from her injuries. She is now back to raising her two young sons, and enjoying time with them and her family.  

If you’ve been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, or have questions about making a claim, Fletchers Solicitors is here to support you every step of the way. We specialise in handling serious and personal injury cases with the care and sensitive support these experiences require.