After facing accusations that he caused a horrific RTA, an orthopaedic surgeon has recently been cleared of any and all liability by the high court.
Accident claim specialists familiar with the case state that the incident, which took place in July of 2008, resulted in Kensington and Chelsea Council parking compliance officer Valerie Steadman sustaining injuries when the bus she was riding had to stop short, throwing her out of her seat. Mrs Steadman struck her head and was left with quadriplegia.
Stephen Atkinson, the driver of the bus, accused fifty three year old consultant orthopaedic surgeon Matthew Sala of causing the accident by suddenly stopping his Ferrari in front of Mr Atkinson’s bus. High court Judge Mrs Justice Swift cleared Mr Sala of any liability, however, by stating that he did not brake in either an abnormal manner or heavily.
Mrs Justice Swift instead laid the blame directly on the shoulders of Mr Atkinson, describing him as being impatient due to the impressions she took away from the assessment of the bus operator’s driving. The high court judge also remarked that she had come to the conclusion by the annoyance Mr Atkinson displayed towards Mr Sala after he allowed two other vehicles to move in front of his Ferrari.
Mrs Steadman is now poised to receive a substantial personal injury compensation award from the bus company that employed Mr Atkinson in the range of seven figures. The paralysed woman’s compensatory damages are expected to be quite high due to the severity of her injuries, which will require her to have 24 hour a day care for the rest of her life, and the subsequent loss of earnings Mrs Steadman will suffer by being unable to ever return to work.