Bott and Co Recover £33,000 for Bricklayer Forced to Take Early Retirement

Bott and Co Solicitors recovered £33,000 for a self-employed bricklayer from Milton Keynes after he was forced to take an early retirement from his job after he was left with long-term pain following a road traffic collision.

The claimant, 72-year-old Mr H, was stationary on the motorway in a queue of traffic when he was hit from behind by a 4 X 4 vehicle. He recalled banging his right elbow and hand on the steering wheel and being thrown backwards and forwards as the vehicle hit him in the rear.

Emergency services were not called to the scene, however, both drivers exchanged details, and Mr H recalls suffering from an immediate headache which lasted for several days.

The claimant was examined by a medical professional where it was confirmed that he had sustained soft tissue whiplash injuries to the neck, shoulder and arm, and nerve root entrapment in his right hand which meant he was unable to fully straighten his fingers or right arm.

Mr H initially had one month off work whilst he recovered, however despite trying on several occasions to return to work, he was unable to properly fulfil his role as a bricklayer as he was suffering from nerve root entrapment and loss of grip and feeling in his hand.

It was confirmed by the doctor that the claimant had restricted neck movements for 15 months from the time of the accident and that he had on-going whiplash neck symptoms which would take 18 months to recover.

The claimant was forced to take a further eight months off work before eventually being forced to take early retirement due to his inability to carry and lay bricks or write with a pen.

The case took longer than usual to complete due to the age of the claimant and the argument put forward by the defence, who argued about the loss of income for the pensioner.

Mr H approached specialist road accident solicitors Bott and Co two years after the accident. Even though two years had passed since the collision on the M1, the claimant continued to suffer from pain and discomfort. Legal Manager, Andrew Peters who handled the case worked to recover costs and damages of £33,000.