Man who needed below knee amputation after collision receives significant compensation

Christopher Williams, 55 has received a substantial sum of compensation after he suffered an amputation of his lower left leg below the knee.

Mr Williams was injured on his motorbike when he was struck by a vintage car participating in the London to Brighton Rally in November 2010. 

He suffered compound fractures to his left lower leg and underwent a number of surgical procedures. 

Over the following years he suffered a number of complications, with permanent ongoing pain and following detailed consultations with orthopaedic surgeons, he chose to have an amputation which was carried out in April 2015.

Mr Williams contacted Leigh Day in November 2014 due to concerns about his current solicitors and the advice received on the valuation of his case. He then transferred his claim to Leigh Day.   

We then put Mr Williams in touch with other amputees and suitable experts about the possibility of an amputation.

After being discharged from hospital after the amputation, Mr Williams underwent rehabilitation with both NHS and private prosthetics providers, including the purchase of an Empower bionic limb. 

Serious injury lawyer Daniel Easton worked closely with Mr Williams to obtain extensive expert evidence in numerous disciplines, including prosthetics, care, accommodation and assistive technology to calculate the value of his claim. 

A trial date was set for December 2017, but Leigh Day was able to resolve the claim at a settlement meeting a month before trial, with an admission of liability.

The case involved significant complications and arguments over the suitability of the bionic prosthesis.

Of uppermost importance in the compensation claim was securing the cost of suitable accommodation for Mr Williams, who lived in a 5th floor flat, which was entirely unsuitable to his needs. Recent case law suggested that it would be difficult for a seriously injured claimant to recover the cost of accommodation

To reduce the potential risk of Mr Williams recovering nothing for his accommodation, we presented a number of different alternatives as to how the court could deal with the accommodation costs in order to ensure that a sensible approach was taken by all parties to reach a settlement which enabled Mr Williams to recover a substantial sum to help him move into suitable future accommodation.

Mr Williams said:

“Daniel Easton acted for me following a road traffic collision which led to a below knee amputation. The case took just over seven years to settlement.

“Daniel’s professionalism, dedication and meticulous attention was a huge support in a protracted case. ‘The quiet voice of calm’, I have enormous respect for him. He is quite simply outstanding!”

Serious injury lawyer at Leigh Day, Daniel Easton, said:

“I was delighted to be able to secure a significant sum of compensation for Mr Williams which will allow him to find the best type of accommodation, and will enable him to work with prosthetic limb suppliers in future years to ensure that he has the most suitable bionic limb for his needs.”