Motor vehicle accident victim wins $5.1 million in court battle    

Slater & Gordon lawyer, Phil Gleeson led the team which assisted a seriously injured Perth man win a significant compensation payout after a motor vehicle accident.

The client, a bricklayer, was severely injured in a motor vehicle accident in December 2001 whilst he was on his way to a fishing holiday in the North West of Western Australia with family and friends.  As a result of the accident, the client now 52, has tetraplegia and is partially paralysed from the neck down.

One of the main challenges that the Perth team faced was the assessment of victim’s damages as the Western Australian economy has recently experience enormous growth within the building and construction sectors. Therefore, each time evidence was collated of the client’s likely present earnings and the expected costs associated with building him an appropriate home, it was found that the cost of labour had risen and hence the evidence collected was irrelevant. Similarly, there has been significant rises in the costs of care.

The client unfortunately also experiences chronic pain for which he receives PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) listed medicines but not for the PBS indicated purpose – hence the insurer needed to be made aware on what real future medical expenses he would likely face.

In the closing stages, Phil Gleeson and the team at Slater & Gordon were able to negotiate a resolution in the sum of $5.1 million for the client allowing him to live the rest of his life with some security and comfort.

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