A former beauty pageant winner has been awarded over 18,000 pounds in chronic lower back injury compensation following a hearing at Edinburgh´s Court of Sessions.
Fiona Dickie (24) from East Lothian, made the claim for chronic lower back injury compensation following a road traffic accident on Edinburgh’s South Clerk Street in April 2009. It was alleged in the action that Fiona had been driving home from work when a vehicle driven by her accident with Mohammadreza Khandani attempted to undertake her car – causing the two vehicles to crash and resulting in Fiona suffering an injury to her back.
The Court of Sessions heard that, following her accident with Mr Khandani, Fiona had telephoned NHS24 who had advised her to consult with her family GP – which Fiona did the following morning. Fiona was referred by her family GP for physiotherapy and was later diagnosed with a chronic lower back injury attributable to the accident.
At the hearing, Judge Gordon Reid QC was told that although Mr Khandani had admitted liability for causing the accident, his insurers were disputing the amount that Fiona was claiming in chronic lower back injury compensation. Whereas, the judge was told, Mr Khandari´s insurers were prepared to settle Fiona´s claim for an amount up to 3,000 pounds, Fiona´s lawyers had requested an amount closer to 20,000 pounds.
It was explained to the Court that in spite of her back injury, Fiona had won a Miss Edinburgh 2010 and – in her role as Miss Edinburgh – regularly attended charity functions at which she dressed formally; including wearing high heels. Wearing high heels, the Court heard, resulted in Fiona suffering chronic lower back pain the next day, but she continued to wear them to support the charities as best she could.
Fiona´s lawyers requested that the judge award a figure which took into account the consequences of Fiona´s injury in relation to the charity work she performed and, after stating that Fiona had “displayed a commendable attitude to [her] work” Judge Gordon Reid QC awarded her a total of 18,281 pounds in chronic lower back pain injury compensation.