UK road traffic accident solicitor explains how to claim compensation for a car accident with a bus together with how to calculate average compensation payouts for back injury, sciatica and back pain
Car Accident Victim Question
I was driving my ford focus car in Skegness on my way to work in Lincoln. I came to a roundabout leaving the second exit onto a two lane road – I took the outer lane.
As I was on in the outer lane I noticed a double decker bus was stopped 50 metres or so ahead of me at a bus stop, which does not form part of the road.
I continued in the second lane of the road accelerating to 35 mph – the speed limit is 40mph on that particular road. As I came close to the bus – I saw the bus begin to pull out without indicating into the first lane of the road. As I was in the outside lane I continued, thinking the bus would remain in the inside lane, but cautiously slowed to around 25mph.
The bus however continued to cut across the inside lane and into the outside lane apparently not having seen my car in the outer lane. As it cut across – the front of the bus hit the passenger’s (nearside) side of my car.
The bus scraped along the side of my car forcing it my car to bump between the lorry and the central reservation and come to an abrupt halt. I honked my horn, but the bus continued in the outer lane..
I had to follow the bus to get the driver to stop. We eventually pulled over on a minor road at another bus stop.
The bus driver initially denied anything had happened, but I asked on the bus and a couple of passengers came forward as having witnessed the collision.
I called the police, but as I was initially in shock I did not appreciate that I was injured. A few hours later I started with lower back pains so I went to hospital
My car was also badly damaged. The nearside wing mirror being ripped from the car onto the road and bumper being bent forward from the body of the car – I had scratches and dents all along the near side of my vehicle and the driver’s side wing was crushed from the impact with the central reservation barrier.
I have now been diagnosed with lower back pain, buttock pain and sciatica.
Could you tell me if I have a claim and how much compensation I can claim for my lower back pain, buttock pain and sciatica?
Car Accident Claim Solicitor Response
From the facts you have described I do not that it would be too difficult in establishing that the Skegness bus driver was at fault for your car accident. In turn his employer would be vicariously liable for his employee’s driving errors during the course of his employment and as such a claim can be made against the bus company for your compensation.
The police attended at the scene and would no doubt produced a police report containing full details of the accident events, including witness statements from the two passengers you indicated can verify your version of events.
So far as the amount of compensation you can claim for lower back pain, buttock pain and sciatica – a solicitor acting on your behalf will instruct an independent medical expert (most likely an orthopaedic surgeon) on your behalf to compile a medical report detailing the exact nature of your back and buttock pain together with the sciatica.
This expert will set out any treatment necessary to help resolve on-going symptoms and will provide a prognosis setting out an estimate as to the time periods your symptoms could last into the future together with any future possible disability.
Only on receipt of this report can an accurate calculation be given as to the likely average compensation claim payouts you could expect to receive.
To see examples of how much compensation you can claim for back injury click back injury claim average compensation payouts
Solicitor help in calculating how much your back injury compensation you can claim
If you would like to discuss your car accident and the calculation of average compensation payouts with me in person or to commence a claim for car accident compensation online click back injury, buttock pain, sciatica bus accident compensation amounts.
