Being Involved in an Accident - Personal Statement Example

In The Birmingham County Court CLAIM NUMBER MENT MADE ON BEHALF OF: Mr Pritpal Bhamra CLAIMANT: REF:154282 PDB Mr Pritpal Bhamra STATEMENT N0: 1 DEFENDANT: REF: Visacrem International WITNESS: INITIALS: DATE: 10/02/09 EXHIBIT REF 1. I am Mr Pritpal Bhamra, of 3a Barton Lodge Road Birmingham B28 0RW 2. My date of birth is 09/08/1977 and I am a Student. 3. I have been driving for 13 years and regularly used my (make & model) FIESTA. registration R822XOP. I have had no previous accidents and I have no motoring convictions. 4. I was very familiar with the controls of my car, using it daily and I am familiar with the accident location. 5. I have the benefit of a comprehensive policy of insurance with Highway Insurance. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ACCIDENT 6. On the 14th April 2008 at 19:30 I was involved in an accident with a vehicle owned by Visacrem International and driven by Mr Masood Zaman at Stratford Road, Hall Green, Birmingham. 7. I was proceeding along the road in question in the right lane and their was another vehicle travelling in the left lane, just slightly ahead of my vehicle. 8. As we approached the junction of Cubley Road, which was on my right, the other vehicle indicated right and attempted to turn into the side road from the left lane, make a collision unavoidable. 9. I exchanged details with the driver and he identified himself as Mr Masood Zaman. SPECIAL DAMAGES 10. As a direct result of the accident I have suffered monetary losses. 11. I have suffered the following losses PERSONAL INJURY Over the next few paragraphs please provide details of your injury and how it affected you. I need your help to make the statement as detailed as possible. This is our best opportunity to obtain the maximum amount we can for you for this claim. The more detail we have the better I can argue with the insurers with regard to the valuation of the claim and the more likely we are to achieve a figure that truly represents the pain you went through. I often find it helps if you start off giving a full description for the immediate aftermath of the accident, then for say a week to two weeks a day by day account of the suffering. Then move to weekly progress, for the first month or so and then monthly progress as your recovery progresses over the next 6 months. We can then move to how you had progressed by the first anniversary of the accident and finally an up to date position. Have you ever been involved in an accident before If so please describe and provide the date: None, not applicable Did you have any pre-existing symptoms in the area of your body injured during this accident If so, please describe what they were prior to this accident. None, not applicable Please describe how you felt immediately after the accident and what your symptoms were. Did you go straight home and rest Did you go straight to see your GP etc: Just immediately after accident, I felt a jolting in the neck, and there was immediate pain in the back of my neck. I was not able to move my neck freely, and it felt very tight. Along with that there was pain that started at the back of my neck and it started feeling it along my right arm. I fixed an appointment with my GP, and meanwhile I continued to suffer. That evening, were you unable to sleep What were you feeling, were you upset and shaken by the accident, unable to get comfortable etc due to your injury Not only due to the injury I suffered at my neck, which I was worried very much about, I could not sleep, also due to the fact that I was very upset that my car was write off. The following day when you awoke please describe your symptoms When I woke up the following day, aside from the pain in the neck, I was feeling a pain along with tingling sensation down both sides of my legs. The stiffness in the neck seemed to have worsened, and it was very difficult walking and moving my neck even at home. Please describe your symptoms daily for the first week including how you felt each morning and progressing throughout the day, how you were treating your injury ie painkillers etc and if so how many per day were you taking Please describe things you were unable to do at first such as attend work, lift, sleep, sitting for long periods etc I was put on painkillers four times a day. The whole week I suffered. Apart from problem walking, it was almost impossible for me to sit down at a stretch since the lower back used to tighten up. To ease it up, I had to get up from my seat quite frequently. As I mentioned earlier, it was also very difficult to stand up and remain in that position for a long time due to the shooting pain alongside both the legs. I understood, I was terribly hurt somewhere in my nerves, which is not amenable to painkillers. It was extremely anxious and was unable to sleep. Please describe how you were for the first month (weekly) After few days, with treatment, the pain got better, but after two weeks of very slow improvement, it started getting worse again, and I feel it is not far worse than the original pain condition just after the injury in the first week. Please describe how you were for the next 5 months (monthly) No I am feeling the same pain. Now the pain seems to be excruciating at nights precluding any sleep. When sitting down, there is severe pain in the back that radiates along the legs. This is the situation over the last 5 months. Please describe how you were at 6 months I am feeling the same pain. Now the pain seems to be excruciating at nights precluding any sleep. When sitting down, there is severe pain in the back that radiates along the legs. Seven months I am feeling the same pain even more in intensity and duration. Now the pain seems to be excruciating at nights precluding any sleep. When sitting down, there is severe pain in the back that radiates along the legs. Eight months The shooting pain down the legs is occurring more frequently. There is moderate to severe tightness in the right back after a little prolonged sitting. Nine months The shooting pain down the legs is occurring more frequently for more time and with more severity. There is moderate to severe tightness in the right back after a little prolonged sitting, which takes more time to resolve and is quite incapacitating. Please describe how you were at12 months There is no change, rather it has worsened. The shooting pain down the legs is occurring more frequently for more time and with more severity. There is moderate to severe tightness in the right back after a little prolonged sitting, which takes more time to resolve and is quite incapacitating. Sleep is quite disturbed. Work and studies are difficult to be pursued. My social life is at stake, and I am feeling isolated. Please describe how you are now My condition is miserable. The problems are getting worse day by day. If I started with a 5/10, it is now 9/10. Please give me details of how the injuries affected your lifestyle. By this I mean the effect on any hobbies, sport, socialising, routine domestic tasks such as cleaning, washing, ironing etc. Please give me details of the period for which you were unable to do each of the above and how you managed during this period. I am student; walking, sitting, and moving are important for my studies and for my daily chores. I cannot walk or sit for long. I cannot do my physical exercises, cannot attend gym. I cannot attend or sit university lectures due to inability of sitting at a place for a long time. Sleeping is a nightmare since while lying down pain aggravates. Moreover anxiety about my future, university course completion has led to a situation of sleep deprivation. Hobbies I cannot travel or go to a movie. Sport I cannot attend gym. Social I am virtually socially isolated. Routine tasks - please describe the help received at home doing jobs normally done by you Daily chores, studies, bathing, walking, sleep everything affected. I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true Signed ................... Dated ................ Leech & Co Solicitors Heron House Albert Square Manchester M2 5HD Solicitors for the Claimant Ref: 154282 PDB Read More