Woman Wins £4.25 Million After Head-On Car Crash

A woman has been awarded a compensation settlement worth £4.25 million for injuries she sustained in a road accident when she was a child.

Rhiannon Millett, then six years old, was a passenger in a car which was hit head-on by a Land Rover. Her mother’s partner, who was driving the car, was killed in the accident.

At first, it was thought that Ms Millett had escaped serious injury. She was treated for a broken leg and discharged from hospital. It emerged, however, that she had a congenital weakness in the tissues of her brain and she was rushed back to hospital with intracranial bleeding.

Ms Millett survived, but she suffered a serious brain injury. As a result, she is unable to live independently and will never be able to work. She will require a substantial care package to meet her daily needs.

The driver of the Land Rover was over the drink-drive limit and was driving on the wrong side of the road. He was convicted of causing death by driving without due care and attention.

The driver’s insurance company admitted liability for the accident and the compensation award, which consisted of a lump sum payment of £1 million plus annual index-linked payments of £52,000, was approved by the High Court.

Click here for a guide to liability in road traffic accidents.