Welcome settlement for football fan hit by taxi
His father, a sales manager in the electrical trade, said that on Saturday 5th December 2015, his son, Peter*, an electrician, then 26, travelled from his home in Edinburgh with his four best friends to enjoy a weekend watching Newcastle play Liverpool at St James Park the next day.
"And the son I remember so clearly from that morning eating breakfast at our house never came back," his father said.
The five young men, friends who went to school together, caught the train from Edinburgh to Newcastle on the early Saturday afternoon and enjoyed an evening out, ending up in Idols nightclub and later The Vault in the centre of Newcastle.
Unable to find a taxi around 1am the next morning, the group decided to walk back to their hotel slightly out of town. One of the friends was guiding them via Google Maps.
According to a witness statement from one of the group, who described Peter as 'his best friend in the whole world', they were walking along the east foot way of the A167 Gateshead Highway when Peter stepped out onto a pedestrian crossing where he was hit by a taxi and dragged along the road.
He was immediately taken to by ambulance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary for emergency brain surgery. He also suffered terrible injury to the right side of his body and internal damage to his intestines and other organs.
Tragically, he has been left with permanent brain damage, is unable to walk or stand for more than a few minutes and needs 24/7 care. He is still unable to use the left side of his body.
His parents now look after Peter at home, with the help of his fiancée.
"Our whole lives have been turned upside down and will never be the same again," Peter's father said.
"Peter loved football, loved playing golf with me and generally just lived his life to the full. Now, he struggles with his short-term memory to the extent that 10 minutes after he's eaten it, he asks for his breakfast.
"We have adapted the house as best we can and Lauren is quite simply an angel in the way she helps look after him. But we are all just devastated and have gone through the most unbelievable experience for the past three years. Understandably, many of Peter's friends have fallen by the wayside."
Physiotherapy and rehabilitation provided by social services was about to run out for Peter and the family desperately needed to fund more of it to help Peter live to his best potential.
Liability was denied by the Defendants. Having found two witnesses with the help of the local paper, Harvinder worked with the police and the insurer of the taxi involved to settle Peter's case for a seven figure sum.
His father said Peter hopes he will walk again and get back his memory, but admits it is very unlikely. The settlement will fund full care and rehabilitation for Peter and for further adaptations to the house as needed.
Following settlement, the family said:
"Fieldfisher was kind enough to take Peter's case on through Jill Greenfield, but we soon found out it was not going to be easy. Harvinder Kaur joined the fight and we found that when doors were closing, Harvinder found a way to keep them slightly ajar and fought tirelessly for us as a family.
"We will be eternally grateful as she has given Peter a chance of having an easier life."
"Words will never be enough to thank you."
*name changed
Contact us
For further information about brain injury compensation claims and road traffic accident claims, please call Harvinder Kaur on 03304606762 or email harvinder.kaur@fieldfisher.com.
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