Peter was involved in a serious car accident when he was travelling along the Ballynahinch Road in County Down. Unexpectedly, another vehicle entered Peter’s lane and forcefully collided with his car, resulting in a head-on impact at a high velocity.
Peter was taken to hospital after sustaining injuries to his shoulders, ankle, and head. He was also left with ringing in his ears and was severely psychologically impacted by the accident.
Peter contacted our car accident solicitors
Peter contacted Paschal O’Hare and had the opportunity to discuss his accidents with one of our solicitors. Following this conversation, our solicitor notified Peter that we were able to help him.
A letter of claim was sent to the insurer for the third-party driver. We became aware that criminal proceedings had been brought against the Defendant driver due to the significant nature of the incident, and we liaised with the PSNI and third-party insurer in order to solidify the Defendant’s position on liability.
At the time of the accident, Peter was self-employed. He suffered a significant loss of earnings due to the accident. Whilst liability investigations were ongoing, we began working on Peter’s claim for loss of pay. The insurer instructed a forensic accountant and after a period of communication, a figure was agreed in settlement of our client’s loss of earnings claim. Whilst often insurers will insist upon payment of loss of earnings at the conclusion of a claim, we were able to negotiate with the insurer and they agreed to make an interim payment for this amount.
We arranged for Peter to be examined by a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, a Consultant ENT Surgeon and a Consultant Psychiatrist. Each Consultant determined a diagnosis in their field in relation to the injuries sustained in the accident and their long-term prognosis. Upon receipt of the final medical reports, we served these upon the insurer who confirmed that liability had been admitted further to the outcome of the criminal proceedings against the Defendant.
We commenced negotiations and a preliminary offer of £40,000 was made for Peter’s injuries. The insurer agreed to a further increase, settling his claim for a global figure of £60,000 which took into account Peter’s injuries and the interim payment made for loss of earnings.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident in County Down or anywhere across Northern Ireland, reach out to our solicitors today. We have been helping people for over 50 years and we’re confident we can help you too!
