£525,000 recovered for man with ‘impossible’ personal injury claim

“I couldn’t go back to my own home because I couldn’t get around. Luckily my parents have a bungalow so I was able to go there. I ended up in a wheelchair, in my back brace, for almost a year and during that time I found out I had a degenerative and painful condition called spinal spondylosis.”

An ‘unwinnable’ case

Despite the great suffering that Tony went through, he went through years of legal turmoil in order for his case to even be taken seriously.

“I contacted a solicitor through my union at work and the case went on for about two and a half years, with the local authority being sued for the road defect and the coach company for negligent driving. Eventually, the case files were sent to a senior barrister, who told me I might as well give up as I had no chance of winning my case.”

While we don’t usually recommend going against the advice of a barrister, in this case doing so was a wise move by Tony. He came to Express Solicitors with his case who saw the validity in Tony’s claims and wanted justice for him and his injuries.

Tony spoke in glowing terms of his experience with the team:

“For the first time, somebody began to understand the extent of my injuries and the chronic pain I was in. I’ve been classed as disabled as I’m unable to work and will need help for the rest of my life.

“The firm was magnificent, it changed my life.”

Daniel Slade pursued claims against both the local authority for the pothole and the coach company for failing to provide seatbelts. He also instructed a pain consultant for Tony. This meant that he was offered a regular residential programme to treat the pain.

A not so impossible victory

The coach company eventually admitted liability for negligent driving. Daniel Slade and the team didn’t stop there though. After all Tony had been through, with his injuries and legal battle, they wanted him to get the road accident compensation package he deserved.

Tony was originally offered £75,000, which he was advised to reject. The reassessed offer of £200,000, while tempting, was also not enough for the team to settle on. Eventually, Daniel succeeded in getting the coach company to agree to £770,000 in damages, from which Tony received an incredible £525,000. Tony was overjoyed that he is financially secure in his new life:

“It’s meant the world to me in the sense that I’ve finally been able to prove this wasn’t my fault. It has also left me financially secure.

“I know I will be okay for money and that’s all down to the fantastic and diligent team at Express Solicitors, who won my case for me when others had said it was impossible.”