The sobering statistics at the heart of Brake’s campaign are:
- Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for children and young people worldwide
- More than six children are killed or seriously injured on roads every day in the UK
- Road crashes cost the UK economy around £36 billion every year
The serious injury team at Shoosmiths are experts in dealing with claims on behalf of families who unfortunately have found themselves victims of a road traffic accident, including those involving child pedestrians.
In a recent case, we were instructed by the family of a 12-year-old girl who had been struck by a car on her way to school. The driver of the car had not seen our client step onto the road, and consequently did not brake prior to the point of impact. Our client was struck by the car and then hit the driver’s windscreen. As a result, she sustained life changing and serious brain injuries.
Soon after being instructed, Shoosmiths were able to obtain agreement from the drivers’ insurers to the instruction of a specialist rehabilitation company to undertake an initial assessment of our young client and provide recommendations for her treatment.
We were also able to secure an early interim payment to cover the cost of the families travel expenses and the loss of earnings incurred by the parents in taking time off work to look after their daughter after the accident. The interim payment also covered the initial treatment recommendations made by the rehabilitation specialists.
We obtained early reports from both a paediatric neurologist and neuropsychologist to assess the injuries our client suffered. The brain injuries our client sustained in the accident will have a lifelong impact; effecting both her immediate education and her future career. The rehabilitation team we have put in place will help to fully assess any difficulties and offer personalised recommendations to help our client as she continues with her education and onwards.
Kate Price-Marson, a specialist personal injury solicitor in the Shoosmiths' serious injury team, remarked:
“In cases where a child has tragically been involved in road traffic accident, it is important that the family have access to a solicitor who can work quickly to secure access to a specialist team of experts and rehabilitation providers. Our team have many years of experience in dealing with these types of claims and we can work with our clients to select the most appropriate experts for them."
Kate also noted that “Campaigns such as Brake’s Road Safety Awareness week are critical in helping to remind drivers and pedestrians of the importance of being alert and aware. Hopefully it will help to prevent avoidable accidents in the future.”
Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. © Shoosmiths LLP 2024
