Personal Injury Story

Farley Dwek represented a young, international footballer who sustained significant leg injuries as a result of a serious road traffic accident. They were a passenger in an off-road vehicle when the driver lost control, causing it to flip over, and in doing so, ejected our client, before the vehicle landed on their leg.

Our client sustained a comminuted (i.e. multi-fragment) fracture of the left femur, a rupture of the posterior cruciate ligament and a significant puncture wound and muscle damage to the left thigh. They have been left with permanent, extensive, unsightly scarring and an obvious deformity and unevenness in the contours of the injured leg.

Emergency surgery (with the insertion of metal work) was needed to unite the leg fracture. However, initial surgery proved unsuccessful. This resulted in three more invasive surgical procedures under general anaesthetic (including complete revision surgery to remove all the metal work and replace it) and extensive hospital stays on each occasion whilst recuperating. When discharged home after each surgery to convalesce, our client needed help and support with all aspects of their daily care, hygiene and mobility, which was provided by family and friends.

Despite their resilient character, our client inevitably suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (including frequent nightmares, a fear of travel and specific phobia of travelling as a passenger) and symptoms of depression, frustration, anxiety, upset and fear, insomnia, mood swings, often weepy and tearful, and they became reclusive and introverted. There was a long road ahead in terms of convalescence and rehabilitation, and each surgery was a major setback.

Our client was told by their medical consultant that they would struggle to walk again, let alone be able to kick a football and should forget any thoughts of playing competitively at any level. It seemed, just as their career was starting to take off, their dreams of continuing to play at even higher standards had come to an abrupt end. The numerous surgeries and time spent in-between recuperating, all took their toll physically, psychologically and emotionally  – both on our client and their family – and also put our client at risk of failing their University degree, too.

However, through sheer perseverance, gutsy determination and willpower, our client pushed themselves to heroic levels and refused to give in. After sourcing specialist football-related rehabilitation, they rigorously followed an extensive programme of therapy and were gradually able to take small progressive steps to recovery. From wheelchair bound to mobilising with crutches; to walking with a stick and gradually building up strength to be able to jog slowly; to kicking a football casually; to having a kick around with friends socially; to joining a 7-a-side team in a local league (but engaging in only light tackling); to eventually building up sufficient strength and confidence to return to their former standards as a reputed ferocious tackler and aspiring to join a top club.

This is an amazing story of remarkable human courage, bravery, stoicism and determination, defying all the odds and their medical consultants!

Farley Dwek Solicitors were happy to provide legal expertise to support our client throughout their claim and help them achieve significant compensation for their injuries.