Neil’s story: Finding joy after amputation

Neil was 57 years old at the time of the collision, working as a security officer. His role was physical, requiring him to be on his feet throughout the day, undertaking patrols, monitoring CCTV and, where necessary, reacting and intervening in live situations.

On the day of the collision, Neil was riding his motorcycle running some errands on his day off, having been to visit his mother. Neil had very little recall of the collision itself, making liability investigations crucial in understanding the collision circumstances.

Neil suffered permanent and life altering injuries to his right leg, resulting in a right above the knee amputation. He also suffered, amongst other injuries, significant fractures to his right shoulder requiring a reverse shoulder replacement, elbow surgery, a pulmonary embolism, and a head injury. He underwent various surgical procedures during his inpatient stay and left hospital to his pre-collision home after being an inpatient for 5 weeks.

His home was wholly unsuitable for him as a result of his injuries and he was unable to access the property without assistance. When he was first discharged, he was carried by two ambulance crew members into the house. The house sits upon a hill, and throughout the property inside and outside there are many steps to negotiate with differing levels.

Neil was working full time prior to the collision and provided daily assistance to his friend after she suffered a stroke. As a result of the collision, he was unable to work, and on top of no longer being able to assist his friend as he did before, he himself needed significant daily care. He was suffering with phantom limb sensations, pain and very limited mobility.

His main passion was motorcycles; he spent most of his free time riding his bike. He enjoyed meeting local biker groups for days out or attending biking events. His other interests included walking, photography, fishing and swimming. Being outdoors and active was a very important part of Neil’s life. All of these activities were not accessible for Neil following his collision, leading to frustration and low mood.

Minster Law was involved in the case from the beginning and agreed a rehabilitation package with the third-party insurer and solicitor, with a case manager in place to coordinate and support Neil’s rehabilitation journey. This package included input from occupational therapists, physiotherapy, psychology and specialists in prosthesis provision. Minster Law obtained interim payments to fund prosthetic limb trials and subsequent purchase of the same. Vocational support was put in place to allow Neil to return to meaningful activity in the community.

The case settled for a seven-figure sum in early 2025, providing the Claimant with financial peace of mind for his future, as well as enabling him to continue to access rehabilitation, support and specialist equipment provision to allow him to enjoy as many of his pre-collision interests as possible.

Comments from Neil

“The settlement I obtained was more than I was expecting, and I do not think that we could have done any better than the settlement I have. Thank you to Minster Law for their hard work and all the team have done for me”

Comments from Edel Selby- Partner – Minster Law

“Working on Neil’s case has been an honour. Neil is an exceptionally independent man and was determined to be as independent as possible as quickly as he could following the collision, despite the severity of both his upper and lower limb injuries.

To be with him on the day of settlement and see him leave using his prosthetic limb, with the litigation behind him and the security of a large compensation sum to continue his journey, was a hugely poignant moment. I am so pleased to know that he has the funds to continue to have the support and guidance of specialists, getting him back to his hobbies of fishing, swimming and to return to riding a motorbike again.”