Woman who suffered brain injury in 'minor' accident recovers £500,000
19/11/2008
A woman who was involved in a minor road traffic accident has been awarded over half a million pounds after the judge accepted that she had suffered a brain injury.
Janis Williams suffered her injury in July 2002. She was driving her car in London and when she stopped at a zebra crossing she was hit from the rear by a Mercedes van driven by Calvin Jervis.
At the trial in the High Court Mr Jervis tried to argue that the accident was partly Miss Williams' fault because the brake lights on her car were not working and she was using a mobile phone at the time of the accident. However the judge, Mr Justice Evans, did not agree and found him entirely to blame for the accident.
Mr Jervis crashed into Miss Williams' car at only 12-15 mph. Experts at the trial argued about whether it was possible for someone to sustain a brain injury in that type of collision.
Miss Williams, who worked as a nurse at St Thomas' Hospital in London, claimed that she suffered a brain injury which affected her memory and concentration and left her with many problems and caused her personality to change. She claimed she also suffered from dizziness, loss of balance and tiredness with attacks of pins and needles and pain down her left arm. She could no longer work and had to give up her job as a nurse.
Mr Jervis' solicitors claimed that Miss Williams suffered only minor injuries. They said she was deliberately exaggerating her symptoms. At the trial they produced a number of experts who said Miss Williams had not suffered any brain injury and in fact had nothing wrong with her.
The trial lasted for sixteen days. At the end the judge entirely accepted the opinions of the experts who gave evidence on Miss Williams' behalf. He agreed that she had suffered a brain injury and there was little chance of her condition improving. He accepted that she would probably never work again and awarded her the total sum of £511,903.00.
