Family wins £8,000 after car accident
A family of four have been compensated with almost £8,000 in total after a road collision left them suffering from multiple personal injuries.
The family had been travelling in their Audi A4 while on their way back home from a relative’s home in Glenfield, Leicester when the driver of another vehicle collided into the Audi.
The court heard that the driver of the other vehicle, a Vauxhall Vectra, failed to give way when joining onto the road, which caused the front of the Vectra to collide into the side of the Audi.
The collision caused the Audi to skid a few feet before coming to a halt, after the driver of the Vectra accidently put his foot down on the accelerator instead of the break as it slammed into the vehicle.
As a result, the driver of the Audi, a 54 year-old father of two, was taken to hospital after suffering from severe back injuries and whiplash injuries.
His wife, aged 47, who was a front seat passenger, had also sustained personal injuries to her back and neck as a result of the car accident while their two children, aged 19 and 21, suffered from whiplash as a result of the impact of the collision.
The driver, who was in shock moments after the incident, said: "It all happened so suddenly [the driver of the Vectra] crashed into the door on my side as we were passing and it just pushed us violently with him as he sped up"
The driver remained in the Accident and Emergency department at the Leicester Royal Infirmary hospital for over five hours before being discharged.
He was also unable to carry out his job as a quality control manager for six weeks as a result.
He said: "I found it really difficult to walk and bend over and when I did, it was really uncomfortable. I couldn't work for about six weeks because I was in constant pain. Each time I moved, I was scared in case I lost my job because of it, but there was nothing I could do."
His wife was also unable to return to her position as a factory worker for three weeks as a result of her injuries. She was put on painkillers for two weeks and was also required to take extra medicine to reduce muscle spasm.
After filing a compensation claim against the driver of the Vectra, the family won close to £8,000 in compensation as a result of their injuries.
The driver of the Vectra initially denied liability yet changed his statement after the case was taken to court. The driver was then ordered to compensate the family with just under £8,000.
The father was compensated over £3,000 for the loss of earnings, personal injuries and emotional damage.
His wife was compensated around £2,000 for her injuries and loss of earnings while their two children had their claims settled for over £1,300 for each of them.
Updated on 22/06/2009