A woman from Nottinghamshire has recently won her appeal, allowing her to claim personal injury compensation against the driver of the police car that struck her while in response to an emergency call.
Rebecca Ann Smith, twenty three years of age, had been crossing Canal Street in Nottingham city centre when she was struck by a speeding police car. She suffered massive, persistent brain injuries in the accident, which saw her thrown over the bonnet and coming to rest on the roof of the police car, and launched a car accident claim against the Nottinghamshire Police Force for her injuries.
However, Ms Smith was barred from seeking compensation after a Nottingham County Court hearing found her 75 per cent responsible for her own injuries. The injured woman’s personal injury lawyers appealed this decisoin at the Court of Appeal in London, resulting in a ruling that the driver of the vehicle must be held responsible for the incident.
The original verdict of the County Court had been incorrect, according to Ms Smith’s legal team, who made the argument that the police driver had been acting in a negligent manner. Now that the appeal court has reversed the original court’s decision, the injured woman could now receive compensation for her injuries, with industry experts making an estimate of one million pounds or more, especially if her injuries will require extensive lifetime care.
The Nottinghamshire Police Force declined to comment on the recent reversal when given the opportunity to do so by the media.