Case study 1

Client overview

Our client was an 8-year old boy who was out shopping with his mother and father on a Saturday morning. He was excelling at school especially in sports where he had just been appointed as football captain for his year.

The accident circumstances

His mother and father went inside a shop, but our client chose to remain outside. This is something that he had done on many occasions. He heard a shout from the other side of the road. When looking up he saw that it was one of his friends from school. His friend beckoned him over and he went to cross the road. He was struck by a slow-moving bus and dragged 25 metres along the road. He sustained a significant basal skull fracture and was immediately admitted to intensive care. As a result of his injury he developed epilepsy and was unable to return to his previous school.

Our specialist help

We were contacted soon after the accident and began working on behalf of the client. Initially liability was disputed due to the slow speed of the bus involved in the accident. Our in-house investigation department undertook a second-by-second reconstruction of the incident and proved that for a Saturday morning, in that location, the bus was travelling at a speed that was inappropriate for the conditions.

We immediately employed a case team including rehabilitation and educational experts. We secured a long-term residential education placement for our client which has the exact facilities to meet his needs. Our client will continue his education there until the age of 21. We have worked to provide all necessary adaptations to his parents' house to ensure that he is comfortable for visits during weekends and school holidays.

The situation now 

Our client is progressing well with his education, and his parents are delighted with the school that he attends and the support package that we have put in place. Once his education is completed everything is in place for our client to return home and receive full support from his parents and specialist carers.