Bus turns across motorcyclist's path

We were by contacted by John Willans in relation to a motorcycle accident that he had whilst on leave from the British Army on the 18th of July 2017.

He had heard about Motorcycle Law Scotland and the service we provide due to his membership with the Royal British Legion Scotland Riders branch.

John was a Corporal in the Royal Engineers and had returned to his home town of Perth for his sister’s wedding. He had been riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle through the High Street in Perth when a bus travelling in the opposite direction suddenly turned right across his path.

John suffered devastating injuries to his right leg and required two surgeries and skin grafts. The injuries were such that he very nearly lost his leg and had to endure a long stay in hospital.

INTIMATING THE CLAIM - LIABILITY ADMITTED

When John first contacted us, we were able to intimate a claim against the insurers of the bus company employing the driver that caused the collision. Liability was quickly admitted and we were able to appoint a Case Manager from an independent rehabilitation company to assist John with his long road to recovery. In addition to physiotherapy treatment, we were able to arrange for John to receive assistance with psychological therapy, insoles for his shoes, and a knee brace to assist him with his leg injury.

Unfortunately, due to the severity of his injuries, John was unable to return to active duty in the Army. The devastating injuries sustained in the collision effectively brought his Army career to an end. John had enlisted in the army immediately after leaving school and was looking forward to seeing out his full term contract and promotion within the ranks. He was medically discharged in 2018. The Army were able to put in place training that will hopefully one day enable him to return to work as a plant operative or in the construction industry.

The team at Motorcycle Law Scotland were pleased to be able to support John and delighted to see him actively engaging in sports following his injuries. John had previously always been active and indeed had taken part in marathons prior to his injuries. Following his road traffic collision, John became involved in wheelchair basketball, rugby, tennis and volleyball. He took part in the 2019 Warrior Games in Tampa and is looking forward to hopefully taking part in the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup 2021 as part of the Scotland Squad.

CASE RAISED IN THE COURT OF SESSION

In order to secure the best settlement for John, we required to raise his court case at the Court of Session, Edinburgh. This is the highest court in Scotland for civil cases. Through our determination and extensive investigations, we were able to achieve a settlement approximately five weeks before a final Court Hearing was allocated. Although a financial settlement is an important part of our job in assisting our injured clients, we were so pleased to be able to assist John with his overall recovery and are proud of his most recent sporting achievements.

The financial award will enable John to make choices in life regarding his future and is compensation for his injuries and loss of career.

At Motorcycle Law Scotland we are proud of our long standing relationship with RBLSR and have made a donation to all the good causes that they support. In turn, we are always here to support their members.

John had this to say:

"Motorcycle Law Scotland is a friendly, helpful, family company. From the first contact i had with them, all the way through my case and after the case was settled, all the staff were friendly and helpful in all matters and always quick to reply to any questions or queries i had. i would definitely recommend Motorcycle Law Scotland to anyone that is needing representation with a legal matter."