Chadfield v Chadfield – QBD 15 January 1998

Claimant: Timothy Chadfield, 39

Incident: Shooting accident

Injuries: Claimant underwent an above-knee amputation after his brother accidentally shot him in the left knee while pigeon shooting. He has never got used to wearing his prosthesis and still takes powerful pain killers for phantom limb pains. He finds it difficult to come to terms with not being able to provide for his family and the sight of his stump. He had been offered more than £400,000 out of court, but contested the case

Award: £325,000

Judge: John Griffith Williams QC

Plaintiff's counsel: Nigel Wilkinson QC

Plaintiff's solicitor: Swatton Hughes & Co, Hertfordshire

Orr v Flood – QBD 16 January 1998

Claimant: Ivan Orr, 4Incident: Road traffic accident

Injuries: Claimant suffered broken bones and head injuries after being knocked over by vehicle driven by defendant. He was in a coma for several days and is now under the care of his elderly parents. He cannot be left alone as there is a danger he might wander off and not be able to return. Damages settled on the basis of equal liability between plaintiff and defendant. At the time of the accident the driver may have been driving too fast but it was also likely plaintiff had been drinking

Award: £275,000

Judge: Mr Justice Buckley

Plaintiff's counsel: Crawford Lindsay QC

Plaintiff's solicitor: Cozens-Hardy & Jewson, Norwich

Westmoquette v Dean – QBD 7 April 1998

Claimant: Margaret Westmoquette, 4Incident: Road traffic accident

Injuries: Claimant, a mother of two and the wife of a Church of England vicar, lost both legs and one arm in road crash and is the first double leg amputee in the UK to learn to walk with electronically intelligent knees. She is said to have fought back against devastating disabilities and to have learned to drive an infrared-controlled car and enjoy hobbies such as canoeing. Her injuries were described in court as horrendous and mutilating and some of the worst ever seen

Award: £1.5m (damages)

Judge: Mr Justice Hooper

Plaintiff's counsel: Bill Braithwaite QC

Plaintiff's solicitor: George Ide Phillips, Chichester