Adam knocked back through glass window by car

On the 7th July 2015, at approximately 3.30am, Adam Ridley, a third year law student at the University of Edinburgh, was involved in hit and run accident.

The site of the accident was Marchmont Road at the junction with Strathearn Road. Adam had been on a night out with friends and was returning to his flat.

Adam was walking on the pavement just a short distance away from his flat, when he suddenly heard a car behind him. He turned and saw very little apart from a set of headlights. He had no time to react. The car mounted the pavement, collided with him, and pushed him through a large glass shop window. The driver quickly reversed, then drove off, leaving Adam lying on the ground.

Thankfully, Adam was still conscious and, as his flat was close by, he was able to make his way home where he woke his flatmate and an ambulance was called. Police were also called to the scene. Despite the driver leaving, the Police were eventually able to trace him and obtain full details.

Adam was held for two nights in the High Dependency Unit at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Given the nature of the incident, he was extremely lucky that the extent of his injuries were not worse. He was diagnosed as having sustained soft tissue injury to his knees and back, a severed tendon in his wrist and multiple lacerations for which he required over 70 stitches.

Pedestrian Law Scotland was instructed to act on Adam’s behalf. We set up the required rehabilitation and intimated a claim directly on the insurers of the vehicle that hit Adam. Although liability was admitted, we later received no response to our correspondence and the case had to be raised in the All Scotland Personal Injury Court.

In the meantime, the driver who had struck Adam that night was charged in the Criminal Court. In October 2016, he finally pled guilty but escaped a jail sentence with the sheriff remarking that he had come “very, very close to custody”. He was placed on a three-year supervision order, fined £720, banned from driving for 27 months and ordered to complete 270 hours of unpaid community service.

Once the civil claim was raised in Court, it took six months to reach a satisfactory outcome that both Pedestrian Law Scotland and Adam were happy with. Three offers were made to settle before the final offer was accepted. The offer reflected the pain and suffering Adam had been subjected to and the fact he was now left with permanent scarring.

Overall, both Pedestrian Law Scotland and Adam were extremely happy with the outcome of his claim. He suffered a nightmarish experience, and although monetary compensation will not take away what happened to him, it may go some way to make things easier.

Adam’s mother had this to say:

“Right from the start at our first meeting, we felt that Adam’s case was in very safe hands with an obvious personal approach from Jodi Gordon. The case was handled very professionally and we were kept informed at every stage. It was reassuring to know we could contact her at any time to discuss the case. She took time to understand the emotional impact the incident had on Adam and his family, which was very much appreciated.

"I wouldn't hesitate recommending Pedestrian Law Scotland to anyone as I know they helped us tremendously through a difficult time and achieved an excellent outcome for Adam. I would just like to thank the whole team very much for their personalised support and expertise.”