Woman wins £95k settlement after moped collision

Loraine White reached out to a solicitor and secured a settlement of about £55,000 after legal fees

"Everything seems to have stopped, and my life is not the same any more."

More than two years after being hit by a moped while on her way to a Mother's Day dinner with her sons in 2022, Loraine White from Leyton, east London, says she is still living with chronic pain.

A man was charged with driving without due care and attention over the incident, but the case was dismissed at Stratford Magistrates' Court on 28 November 2022.

However, Mrs White reached out to a solicitor and successfully sued his insurer, securing a settlement of about £95,000.

Speaking of the moment she was hit and fell to the floor in the collision, Mrs White said the pain was "astronomical".

She spent two and a half weeks in hospital with a broken tibia, broken ribs and injuries to her face, which continue to affect her quality of life today.

Mrs White said she was grateful for the settlement of £55,000 after legal fees, which she received last year, but added it had done little to relieve her chronic pain.

Getting around her council home of almost 30 years she said, was agony.

"The worst thing for me is living here. I can't do the stairs any more, they're so steep," she explained.

Mrs White was treated in hospital for a broken tibia, broken ribs and injuries to her face, which continue to affect her

"I used to go to the gym, I used to do Pilates," she explained, but those activities were now too difficult.

"If I'm on the floor I can't get up from the floor, I cannot put my knees on the floor," she said.

"I cannot even go there (to the gym) to go on the bike any more. So I have put on a lot of weight."

"The council was supposed to have given me a walk-in shower two and a half years ago - I'm still waiting," she continued.

"It's making my life hell living here now. I can't bear it, I'm in tears. I just don't want to live here any more."

Councillor Louise Mitchell, Waltham Forest Council's cabinet member for adults and health, said: "Mrs White has been assessed at home by our Occupational Therapy Team and is currently on the waiting list for major adaptations.

"The Home Adaptations Team will contact the resident this week to check how they are managing and arrange a time to be seen.

"While we are unable to comment on Mrs White's personal financial situation, Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) are subject to means testing."