£450,000 for injured driver whose previous Solicitor advised him to accept £40,000

Mr H was in a desperate situation when he first reached out to Aston Knight in November 2023. Following a road traffic accident some 4 years previous, Mr H had been represented by a well-known national firm specialising in personal injury claims. Over this period, it became apparent that Mr H’s back pain had become chronic and was causing him significant disability.

Despite doing everything in his power to avoid the seemingly inevitable, Mr H was eventually forced to close his once thriving plumbing business. Mr H lost his livelihood and financial security, and this caused a significant downturn in his mental health. More than ever, Mr H needed his Solicitor to fight his corner and ensure he was properly compensated.  Unfortunately, Mr H was let down by his previous solicitor who, amongst other failings:

• Instructed medical experts who were not appropriate for the case
• Accused Mr H of being dishonest
• Advised Mr H to accept an offer of £40,000

Mr H was placed under considerable pressure to settle his claim for £40,000, and this prompted him to reach out to Aston Knight by e-mail, writing “I’m now…on crutches for the rest of my life… I’m absolutely devastated… can you help?”

We sympathised entirely with Mr H’s hopeless situation, and we agreed to take over conduct of his case. We could not sit back and allow Mr H to suffer the injustice of receiving £40,000; this being a fraction of the losses he had suffered.

To give Mr H any chance of receiving a more appropriate amount in compensation, we took immediate steps to ‘undo’ the mistakes made by the previous solicitor. We carefully sourced and instructed alternative medical experts, before obtaining the Court’s permission to rely upon this new evidence. Following 12 months of hard work, the case was back on track. The evidence now accurately reflected Mr H’s disabled condition and the impact on his daily functioning and future prospects.

In some ways the battle for justice had only just begun, with the Defendant representatives deploying many tactics in an attempt to derail the claim. Undeterred by such antics, we continued with the claim and remained resolutely determined to deliver justice for Mr H.

We invited the Defendant to engage in settlement negotiations and, following a lengthy meeting held over the course of a day, we were able to agree a settlement of £450,000; over 10 times more than the figure Mr H had been advised to accept by his previous solicitor. Mr H was overjoyed with this settlement, which exceeded his expectations. He was keen to express his gratitude:

“… thank you very much for all your hard work, I really appreciate all you have done.”

This was a fantastic result on such a difficult case. In so many ways this case highlights and showcases the essence of the ‘Aston Knight Difference’. Solicitor, Andrew Thompson, comments:

“Mr H was let down time after time by his previous Solicitor. Being unfamiliar with the claim process, he was unaware of the extent to which his claim had been poorly handled, but his instincts told him that £40,000 was not enough compensation for what he had been through. Mr H reached out to us in a time of need and we stepped up. This was a bold decision on our part, and not one that many other solicitors would have taken. Over the course of 2 years, and through much blood sweat and tears, we managed to change Mr H’s fortune and secure a fantastic result. Not only does the £450,000 settlement provide financial security for Mr H, but it also provides the funds needed for him to undergo specialised rehabilitation treatment, which will hopefully assist Mr H on the pathway to rebuilding his life following such a dreadful ordeal.”

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