Unite Legal Services helped a woman from Yorkshire after she was knocked off her bike by a driver while cycling on a roundabout.
Keeley Whitford was involved in the road traffic collision in December 2019 and was immediately taken to Scarborough General Hospital by ambulance.
While in hospital, she found out she had fractured multiple vertebrae in her spine and the top left of her fibula. An MRI scan also showed she had torn the ACL ligaments in her knee.
Keeley, from Bridlington, said: “I would describe the pain as 10 out of 10. I struggled to get out of bed and for the first six weeks I was taking codeine four times a day.”
As a result of the accident, our member also developed post-concussion syndrome and has noticed deterioration of her memory and concentration.
She has been able to return to work as a cleaner, but not full-time. She also managed to get back on her bike briefly, but a recent operation to repair her ACL ligaments means she will have to put her hobby on hold again.
Unite Legal Services helped secure £85,000 compensation for Keeley, which included funding for CBT sessions to help with her anxiety and sleep loss. As a member of Unite, she kept 100 per cent of her compensation.
Keeley added: “If it wasn’t for my union Unite, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I am ever so grateful.”
Karen Reay, from Unite Legal Services, said: “We were able to secure a commitment to fund rehabilitation for Keeley in addition to her compensation settlement. Interim payments paid for private knee surgery, which allowed Keeley to return to work a lot sooner, and put to rest her concerns about potentially losing her job if she was off work for an extended period of time."
