How we helped Reece settle his accident claim against the TAC

A young carpenter and union client of Slater and Gordon’s Melbourne Motor Vehicle Accidents team last week settled his claim against the TAC for a six-figure sum, after sustaining significant injuries in a transport accident in 2012.

Reece, 29, was involved in an accident when his motorbike was struck by another vehicle that failed to give way to him while executing a U-turn. Reece sustained a number of very serious injuries in the accident, including a head injury, punctured lungs, multiple spinal fractures and a badly fractured right wrist. He required a spinal fusion and has had multiple surgeries to his right wrist, with doctors anticipating he will require more surgery in future.

At the time of the accident Reece was working as a carpenter for a high-rise construction company doing façade installation. His work involved a lot of heavy manual labour including hauling glass panes that weighed between 80 to 200 kg. Following the accident, Reece was unable to go back to his former job due to his injuries and, in fact, doctors doubted that Reece would ever get back to any sort of manual carpentry work at all. However, to Reece’s immense credit, he did not let his injuries hold him back. Determined to get back to work, he joined forces with a friend of his from high school and now runs a successful business, Custom Edge Constructions, doing domestic carpentry work.

As a member of one of Slater and Gordon’s affiliated unions, Reece was referred to Victorian State Practice Group Leader Joanne Panagakis for assistance with his TAC claim. The issue in Reece’s case was getting the TAC to accept the fact that, as a result of his injuries, Reece would not be able to return to the lucrative high-rise construction work he had previously done. Using evidence from Reece’s former employer, his business partner and his former colleagues, we were able to establish that Reece had suffered, and would continue to suffer, a significant financial loss as a result of his accident injuries despite his return to work.

This was a fantastic result for Reece and the settlement money will go a long way towards providing financial security for him and his wife into the future.

If you have been involved in a transport accident and want to know your rights, contact Slater and Gordon on 1800 555 777.