At midday on 10 October 2016, our client, a social worker, was involved in a car accident that led him to seek legal representation from Thompsons' road traffic accident solicitors.

While our client was stationary at the junction of Honeywell crescent and Lauchope Street, waiting to turn left, a bus came up behind him and collided with the rear of his car, shunting him onto the main road. Thankfully, no other vehicles were involved in the incident.

The consequences

Our client exchanged details with the bus driver, and the police did not attend the scene, but the impact was still serious enough to cause our client a significant injury. For the first two nights following the accident, he was unable to sleep because of pain in his back and neck. As the pain was worsening our client went to hospital, where doctors told him he'd suffered a whiplash injury and gave him painkillers to help relieve his symptoms.

The pain in his pelvis, back, and neck continued to get worse, which meant he couldn't sit for long periods of time. He also struggled with weakened strength and kept dropping things whenever he tried to pick them up. The problems with his balance and strength led to him having to return to hospital where he underwent a spinal CT scan. It was confirmed that he'd suffered a soft tissue injury to his neck and lower back, which had aggravated pre-existing chronic back problems.

Our client did not have to take any time off work, but his injury did mean he had to work from home some days.

The settlement

Our client's union, UNISON, referred him to Thompsons' road traffic accident solicitors, and we took on the case, intimating a claim to the third-party insurer.

The defender admitted liability, and the case was settled pre-litigation for a compensation sum of £4,000 on 12 September 2017.