No win no fee

I am extremely frustrated at the moment. My mother-in-law is 84 and until recently was really getting on well. She has C.O.P.D which we have discussed on this site and at the doctors suggestion she was walking very slowly around her small block, meeting and greeting and enjoying the odd visit for a cup of tea.

She was doing the best she had been for a long time, making new friends and had not had a chest infection for months.

Exactly one month ago she tripped getting onto a bus. She fell into the bus and suddenly everyone noticed that there was an awful lot of blood about. She had severed an atery in her ankle and was bleeding to death.

The bus driver was brilliant he ordered everyone off the bus and drove mother to the nearest doctor. The doctor tried to stop the bleeding but couldn't however, he did call an ambulance and the paramedics had everything under control.

We were furious what an earth had been so sharp that it had done so much damage.

We called a no win no fee company as we believe mother should get some compensation for the future problems, pain and fear that this has caused.

One month on and the swelling still hasn't gone down and the cut is still not healed.

My frustration is peoples attitude when told that we are trying to get some form of compensation from the bus company for not making their buses safe. anyone would think that we had got a job on purpose just to fall off a ladder and sue someone. This is awful negligence on the part of the bus company and it could happen that mother in law will never be independent again, she is also terrified to go back on a bus and who can blame her.

You are a level headed lot. What do you think?

Re: No win no fee

Hard to say Cate without knowing what exactly caused the cut. Something doesn't have to be razor sharp to cut us old folks, because as you know as we get older everything gets more fragile, particularly skin and muscle....I myself took a huge flap of skin off on the back of a wooden park bench just recently, and the edge was just square and not even sharp! If there was something sticking out that was sharp then I would agree with you, but not everything is someone's fault and you cannot always find someone to blame. I still believe there are times when unfortunate accidents cannot be quantified or forseen, and are just down to plain old bad luck...

Re: No win no fee

This is true plantman, but nowadays everyone is made to do checks and balances all the time to make sure things are safe and healthy. The bus must have been checked that morning for anything likely to cause harm. I had not thought about the elderly skin thing, of course you are right, mother's skin is very dry and thin.

It just makes me really miserable to think that that morning's outing could well be her last independent outing. From now on she will have to rely on others. don't get me wrong, the lady is surrounded by friends and helpers but I feel her independence is so vital to her life expectancy and enjoyment.

Re: No win no fee

I agree 100% with Plantman, I'm afraid. This sounds like an accident, albeit one which may have consequences for your mother-in-law's independence.
Your last paragraph sort of says it all - you are feeling miserable for your mother-in-law, and seeking compensation is a way of dealing with that. But I'm afraid I hate the current litigation culture, and given that the bus driver did his level best by the sound of things, I would not pursue this further.

One month is really not very long to allow something like this to heal in an elderly person, and, sadly, the fear of falling after something like this is of greater consequence.Hope your mother-in-law makes a full recovery, although I imagine her confidence wiill have taken quite a knock.

Re: No win no fee

Really sorry for your mother in law cassie, it will have knocked the stuffing out of her.My bank is closing in the town and its ridiculous the upset i feel about this, I go to pieces whenever i think about this.Look after her Cassie, when we are old we are very vulnerable.

Re: No win no fee

I can relate to that Cate and I meant no offence, so however your claim goes my best wishes for a full recovery go to you and your mother in law regardless..

Re: No win no fee

We shall be looking after her and the lovely people of Cumbria look after her too. I am sorry to hear that your bank is closing and I hope that you can manage your banking business over the phone or even on line. At least you have this forum to talk to and I know that must help even I like to hear your opinions on many things.

Re: No win no fee

You really cause no offence, I asked for everyones opinion and they are important to me. Thank you so much for your good wishes.

Re: No win no fee

Sorry Cookiecate I called you the wrong name.

Re: No win no fee

Hmmmmmmmmm - Do you or you M-I-L know what she actually hit when she fell??? - was it something sharp that shouldn't have been there or was it pat of the bus itself??? - Was there a reason for this thing (whatever it was) to be sharp or not???

Buses in this part of the world Cate darlin' have pneumatic drop platforms which lower to allow those of us with mobility problems to get on/off the bus with a greater degree of ease.

These no win/no fee firms are con merchants, so be VERY careful which one you choose. They sprang up following (Lord) Derry Irvine' s policy of withdrawing Legal aid for civil claims back in 1998.

Good luck with the claim Cate darlin' and I wish your M-I-L a full and speedy recovery to full robust health and mobility again.