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This article was published on February 23rd, 2015
A young woman has been awarded £3 million pounds by a Supreme Court after it was agreed her County Council should take responsibility for her accident. The woman in question suffered a catastrophic brain injury when she was only 10 years old whilst having a school swimming lesson at a local pool.
The accident happened 13 years ago when the woman was only 10 years old. It is still not known how the accident occurred, although the parents suspect she may have received an accidental kick to the head. She was found lying on bottom of the pool unconscious by three of her friends. According to her friends, the lifeguard and swimming teacher were both nearby but failed to respond when called to help. By the time they realised someone was really hurt it was too late.
The centre manager tried resuscitation her but she suffered a cardiac arrest and her brain was starved of oxygen which caused severe damage.The young woman explains:
“The injuries affect every aspect of my life. It is like hell on earth.
“I have short-term memory loss, my balance is awful so I walk into things all the time, I dribble my food and I drop things. I leave the gas and hair-straighteners on. I am prone to depression.
“Tiredness is the biggest thing. I slur my words because I am tired and sound like I am drunk. There’s inappropriate behaviour in social situations – I don’t know what to say and what not to say. I say rude things sometimes.
“I do remember the old me – my memory of life before the accident is better than it is now.
“Mine is an invisible injury because you can’t see it. People see me and speak to me and think there is nothing wrong with me. I struggle with that every day.”
This is a landmark case because neither the teacher nor lifeguard, who should have noticed her drowning sooner, were employed directly by the LEA (Local Education Authority), they were under the supervision of a contractor. The Supreme Court said they could pursue the Council for damages and the High Court found there had been negligence.
The woman said:”The money will give me security but no amount of money in the whole world can bring my brain back.”
Although compensation can never repair the damage done after a catastrophic injury, it can help to pay for lifelong care including respite care and also help modify homes and vehicles to improve quality of life.
We offer a free initial interview in order to review your specific circumstances and assess the viability of your claim. After this, the majority of claims are dealt with on a no win – no fee basis.
Call us now on FREEPHONE 0800 1979 345, or complete our simple enquiry form.
