Polish driver gets compensation 75 TIMES more than the first offer!

Read Paulina's story in Polish at Polka otrzymuje odszkodowanie 75 RAZY większe od pierwotnej oferty!

Paulina Szitenhelm was sitting in traffic at Nethermains Road in Kilwinning, Renfrewshire when a speeding Audi slammed into her in a head-on crash.

The 29-year-old suffered a broken foot after the front of her Vauxhall Corsa crumpled inwards.

She also suffered severe whiplash injuries when her vehicle was shunted backwards into the car behind her.

Paulina said: “After the accident I was in shock and started crying – I just felt overwhelmed. When I got out of the car I could feel pain in my feet.”

Police officers investigated the crash while ambulance technicians treated Paulina at the scene.

After returning home the Polish national felt the pain worsen so she went to A&E at Royal Alexndra Hospital.

She added: “After the accident I was unemployed for nine months and had to use all my savings to get by.

“I couldn’t enjoy life and I was feeling down all the time.

“I knew I needed some kind of help with the financial impact of everything.”

After coming to Digby Brown Paulina was put in touch with our solicitor Justyna Rompca.

Justyna had Paulina meet with a consultant orthopaedic surgeon for their opinion on the extent of her injuries and the lasting impact they would have on her life.

With this information it meant the car accident compensation claim could be properly understood and valued.

Justyna then gathered statements, witness evidence and police reports and spoke to other experts to build a case.

She was able to show that Paulina, who was working as an Uber Eats delivery driver, just started her shift when the crash happened.

The weather was clear and sunny and the driver of the other vehicle was dealt with by police.

The insurance company for the other driver admitted liability and agreed to pay Paulina compensation – but they only offered £1,650.

Justyna knew this was not fair as the medical evidence showed Paulina would continue to be affected for some time after the crash – including her ability to work, do her hobbies and lead a normal life.

An interim payment of £5,000 was secured to help Paulina deal with immediate costs as the case negotiations continued before her car injury claim eventually settled for £122,500 – a sum that was 75 times more than the initial offer.

Paulina said: “I couldn’t believe the final value when I was told – it was such a huge difference compared to the first amount the insurance company tried to pay.

“It’s really clear to me now why getting legal advice is important because I would never have known how much my claim was worth – and even if I did think it was worth more there was no way I’d have been able to prove it or have a chance of fighting the insurers on my own.

“I am so grateful to Justyna and everything Digby Brown has done for me – I’m originally from Poland so having someone who could talk to me in my own language was a big help too.

“I hope other people out there see the difference that can be made if you just ring around and ask for help from the right people.”