After Kevin* was tragically killed in a cycling collision, we supported his wife Lorna* through a complex fatal claim. Despite challenges around pension arrangements, family dynamics, and disputed financial losses, we secured a settlement of over £850,000 to reflect the full impact of Kevin’s death on his family.
Overview
Lorna turned to us for support after the tragic death of her husband, Kevin, who was fatally injured in a cycling collision when a car turned across his path. He sustained a severe brain injury and sadly passed away shortly afterwards.
- Kevin was in his early 60s and left behind Lorna and their children. This was a devastating loss both emotionally and financially, as he had been a high earner with a successful career.
- We supported Lorna throughout the claim, securing a settlement that reflected the true value of Kevin’s lost income and the impact of his death on the family.
Challenges
The case involved several complex factors, both financially and personally.
- Kevin had a complicated pension arrangement which Lorna was finding difficult to manage. She also faced the pressure of dealing with grief, financial uncertainty and the needs of other family members who were dependent on her and Kevin for care and financial support.
- There was an argument from the defendant that Kevin was close to retirement and so the financial loss would be limited. This required careful investigation to prove otherwise.
- Family dynamics were also difficult, and it was important to understand the wider picture of who relied on Kevin, both financially and emotionally.
How we helped
- We immediately supported Lorna in dealing with Kevin’s pension arrangements, helping her access funds to support her and the family while the legal claim progressed. A specialist pension loss report was also commissioned, which played a vital role in building the overall value of the claim.
- To challenge the retirement age argument, we obtained evidence that showed Kevin planned to continue working into his 70s. We instructed an employment expert to prepare a report outlining the kind of work he was likely to have carried out in the future, including part-time roles. This helped illustrate the scale of income he would likely have earned had he lived.
- We also gathered detailed witness statements that showed how little Kevin spent on himself, supporting an argument that the usual fatal claims split of 66% was inappropriate. Based on this evidence, we successfully argued for an 80/20 split to better reflect the family’s actual financial loss.
Outcome
The case was settled for over £850,000, which reflected the full impact of the loss to Lorna and her family.
- By building strong evidence and challenging the assumptions often made in fatal cases, we helped the family to secure compensation that properly recognised the financial and emotional consequences of their loss.
Our support extended beyond the legal claim, allowing Lorna to navigate a very difficult time and giving her the confidence and practical help she needed to move forward.
*not their real names
