Your Stories

Oh look at this bright light - I'll pull out

JASON

They say everyone has at least one day that will change their life. Mine was the 12th February 1998, I was riding home from work on my Suzuki DR 350 when "Mrs Volvo" (I have other names for her but I wouldn't wish to offend anyone) decided "oh look at this bright light I'll pull out". After reaching the split second decision I'm going to crash and opting to go over the bonnet and not the roof so minimising injuries to everyone. I find myself somersaulting with all the grace of a hippopotamus on roller skates! Then wondering why my left leg is over my right arm? You guessed it - I have broken my femur. Even worse, and the thing I find the hardest to accept, is that she telephones her husband before phoning for an ambulance. Stands right over me looking at me and saying to her husband on "my" phone it wasn't her fault. Luckily another witness had stopped and said that it wasn't my fault, I could have done nothing.

Anyway, after being conveyed to hospital A & E, my thoughts were, stick it in a plaster cast and it will be ok in a couple of weeks. Funny how naive you can be sometimes!

Two weeks later and after a five hour operation I am discharged with 12 screws, carbon Kevlar plate and a hefty plaster cast on my ankle. Six weeks after that at last the plaster cast can come off. I asked the Nurse could she weigh it, turns out it was 7 lbs.

Meantime you have to fill out hundreds of forms explaining what happened and eventually after several months Mrs Volvo's insurance say liability is not an issue in this case.

Two of the screws came out in my knee (Femur End) as I was in so much pain. this helped but still I was in considerable pain. After having a MRI Scan they find that I have what is known as a "bucket handle tear", I will need another operation (Arthroscopy) to sort this out. After waiting months and months due to the fact that Mrs Volvo's insurance totally ignored my request to pay for this operation. I went in and had the operation.

When I awoke I was told that I have a very unstable anterior cruciate ligament. However due to the fact that I had fractures in the weight bearing area of the knee they cannot repair this as it would further increase the risk of arthritis. After a few more months I went back and forth to the hospital but to no avail until finally in February 2000 the surgeon said there was nothing more they could do for me and I was discharged.

The worst part of all this is not so much all the above mentioned but the hassle and stress you get from when going through all this. I have been chased for 18 months by the local council for £38. Something to pay for highway wash down, they kept threatening me with court action if I did not pay up immediately. then Mrs Volvo's insurance company kept ignoring letters from my solicitor, they then lost all the details (twice) rather conveniently. I was managing to up until Feb 1999 to hold down my job as a shop manager for a large automotive parts supplier, but the travelling up and down the country virtually killed me, it was agreed that I would go part time that would allow me to go to the hospital doctors and physiotherapy etc. This at the time I thought was very considerate by my employers, but as it turned out they had an ulterior motive. Three months after that they decided to terminate my employment on health grounds.

I then was forced to take them to court for unfair dismissal which I won but they somehow managed to wriggle out of paying too much compensation. After that what else could possibly go wrong? Well I'll tell you I had a complete breakdown something just snapped inside me, I could not cope anymore.

On top of that the Disability Benefits Agency would not accept that I had mobility problems. I qualified for low rate care but they would not concede that I needed high rate mobility despite various letters from different specialists doctors etc. I asked them to review their decision, months later they came back and said they had but they were not going to change their mind. If I wanted to appeal again I would have to go before a tribunal appeals board. This I did (Aug 2000) and with the help of my solicitors the decision was I did qualify for the high rate mobility care rate. However it looks like I will have to go back again as they only gave me Disability Living Allowance from Feb. 1999 till Feb. 2000 I had applied again in Nov 99 but this was not to be considered in the tribunal.

On a happier note I am starting to make progress and recover from my breakdown all be it very slowly. This is the first time I have ever sat down and really thought about telling other people what can happen.

I don't think I will ever accept my disability but I will have to live with it. All it's brought me is misery pain and suffering. Yes I will eventually get compensation from Mrs Volvo's insurance, but what are you supposed to live on in the meantime? No amount of money will ever compensate you for your injuries.

People just say accept it and move on with your life, but unless it's happened to you you'll never know.