A 17 year old girl who was severely injured in a car crash that killed her mother has won a record compensation payout. Agnes Collier, a pupil at top public school Cheltenham Ladies’ College, is to receive a settlement worth up to £23 million.
Agnes, who was 13 at the time of the incident, sustained devastating spinal injuries in the crash, and has been left with no use in her legs and minimal use in her arms. The crash, which occurred in Gloucestershire in 2009, involved the family car being forced into the direct path of a lorry after a car pulled out of a side road. The insurers of the BMW which caused the crash admitted liability, resulting in the payout; the biggest sum ever achieved in a personal injury case in England and Wales.
The settlement awarded includes a £7.25 million lump sum payout along with index-linked, tax-free payments of £270,000 a year, for ongoing care costs. Should Agnes go on to live a full life expectancy, as she is expected to do, the total value of the payout will be in the region of £23 million.
Upon agreeing the settlement, Mr Justice Macduff praised the teenager, commenting: “It never ceases to amaze me how people can deal with this type of adversity. I can’t turn back the clock, but what I can do is to wish you all the very best for your future.”
Despite the terrible consequences of the crash, Agnes returned to college, achieving her AS levels ‘with flying colours. The student intends to continue her further education at Oxford or Cambridge University.
Frenkels Forensics arer a specialist forensic accountancy firm that assists in the calculation of losses in relation to personal injury claims. Our experts are able to produce detailed forensic accountancy reports, on behalf of claimants or defendants. We are able to deal with the pension loss aspects of these claims as well.
For more information about our work in forensic accountancy for personal injury cases, please don’t hesitate to contact us.