Boyes Turner’s personal injury solicitors secured a £225,000 settlement for a motorcyclist who suffered multiple injuries in a road crash collision with a taxi. The 39-year-old biker was thrown from his motorbike when the taxi driver, suddenly and without indicating, pulled out to make a U-turn across his path as he was overtaking a line of stationary traffic. His left foot and ankle were crushed in the collision. Multiple injuries and long-term disability He suffered multiple injuries, including an unstable fracture dislocation of the left ankle, a severe open fracture dislocation of the Lisfranc joint in the left foot with nerve and tendon damage, and a grade 3 dislocation of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint of his left shoulder. He was taken to A&E and underwent surgery to reduce the dislocation of his foot and repair the nerve and tendons. The ankle dislocation was manipulated into a plaster cast. He remained in hospital and needed further surgery on his foot and ankle a week later to remove the wires used in the previous operation and insert a percutaneous screw to stabilise the fractures. He was discharged from hospital a week after his injury, and remained non-weight-bearing on his left foot for six weeks. Our client has been left with permanent disability from pain and stiffness in his foot and ankle, which increase with prolonged walking, standing or squatting and praying. He has shooting nerve pain sensation in the scars on his foot and ankle. He is unable to run. He needs long-term orthotics and physiotherapy. He has shoulder discomfort which is increased by heavy lifting. He is expected to develop arthritis in the future and suffer a deterioration in his shoulder, foot and ankle, which will need further surgery. He suffered a psychological injury. Admission of liability, rehabilitation and settlement We helped our client pursue a claim against the taxi driver and secured an admission of liability. The driver’s insurers agreed to help us prioritise our client’s recovery, and provided funding for rehabilitation. This paid for intensive treatment from a physiotherapist specialising in complex MSK injuries, and for specialist orthotics, and domestic help from a cleaner. The early rehabilitation funding also paid for psychological treatment to help our client come to terms with his disability, its impact on his ability to work, and the loss of his former active lifestyle and hobbies, which had included fitness, running, cycling, hiking, martial arts, scuba diving and motorcycling. Despite the severity of his injuries, our client gradually returned to his former work but struggled to cope with long days working on his feet as he had done prior to the injury. He took a break from work and then relocated, allowing him to accept less onerous work, whilst also being closer to his family. With proceedings issued and liability formally admitted, we entered into settlement discussions with the defendant driver’s insurers which resulted in a £225,000 settlement for our client. If you have been seriously injured in a road collision, and you would like to find out more about funded rehabilitation or making a claim, you can talk to one of our experienced solicitors, free and confidentially, by contacting us.
