Bus driver receives settlement following road traffic incident

In July 2019, 36-year-old bus driver Michael Kerr was standing on a pavement waiting for assistance after his bus broke down. A car mounted the pavement, hitting Michael and throwing him high into the air. Michael landed heavily sustaining serious injuries to his back, pelvis, foot and kidney. The car continued down the pavement before hitting another car which brought it to a stop. Michael was taken to hospital for treatment while the Police investigated.
 
Michael required surgery on his foot and remained in hospital for 11 days while his condition stabilised. Having now made a reasonable but incomplete recovery from his injuries, unfortunately his kidney injury has had consequences for his blood pressure, which will now require careful monitoring for life.
 
While at the Leeds General Infirmary, Michael spoke to Day One Trauma Support, a charity based at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust providing support to patients and families affected by trauma. Day One put Michael in touch with Leigh Day, who, after meeting with Michael, contacted the defendant’s insurers, secured immediate funding for a comprehensive rehabilitation package and an early payment against his compensation to assist with his finances.
 
Investigations into the case were complicated by conflicting accounts from the witnesses. Some witnesses reported a driver speeding down the road whereas others reported that there was no driver and it looked like a runaway car. Leigh Day argued that in either event, responsibility for compensating Michael would be the car owner’s insurer.
 
After an investigation lasting almost a year, the defendant accepted liability for the incident and made an offer to settle the claim. Leigh Day obtained a comprehensive set of expert reports before responding to the defendant and negotiating an increased settlement.
 
Michael said:
 
“The help I received from Day One and then Leigh Day, in particular William Broadbent, has been priceless. From getting interim payments to physio and CBT therapy, all were invaluable in aiding my recovery and negotiating a settlement which allows me to move on with my life.”
 
Leigh Day solicitor, William Broadbent, who represented Michael, said:
 
“I am very pleased that we have managed to settle Michael’s claim and recover compensation for him. This was a very strange incident and left Michael with a lot of anxiety about his future.
 
“Fortunately, with the settlement, I hope that Michael now feels more secure and can start to move on from this very traumatic event.”
 
More information regarding Day One Trauma Support and their work can be found on their website.