Driving Choices, Devastating Consequences: Mark Hambling Calls for Accountability During Road Safety Awareness Week 2024
During Road Safety Awareness week 2024, Mark Hambling, Director and Head of the Rogers & Norton Personal Injury Team, reflects upon the devastating and avoidable consequences of road traffic collisions and highlights the campaign goals of Brake, the road safety charity.
According to Department of Transport, a staggering 29,643 victims were killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions in the UK in 2023, which demonstrated little change from the 2022 figures.
Brake, the road safety charity, campaigns and seeks to work towards stopping the tragedies of death and serious injury caused in road traffic collisions, and during road safety week are seeking to highlight the devastating toll of road traffic collisions.
Mark Hambling handles a large number of serious road traffic accidents where his clients have suffered severe and life changing consequences, or the loss of a loved one leaving devastated families, through no fault of their own. Through his team they seek to restore the lives which are shattered by the consequences of the collision and achieve full compensation for the victims and dependent families. Analysing the cases Mark handles, he observes that the consequences of an accident are far reaching, often causing clients to give up work, requiring significant levels of care, facing lengthy and multiple pieces of surgery, and often moving home or at least adapting their home to accommodate the life changing consequences of their injuries. In fatal cases the family have often lost the main earner or carer and the love and affection of a dear relative, which will never be compensated financially. Whilst Mark will aim to achieve full compensation within the scope of the law, he is certain that every client would give up every penny of compensation or hours of rehabilitation to have not been involved in the accident.
On analysing his recent road traffic serious injury and fatal cases, Mark notes a common, concerning and avoidable theme in the cases and one that is troubling and should be avoided. In Mark’s four most recent serious injury and fatal cases handled, each and every one involves a motoring conviction.
- Case 1 – Life changing injuries – Driving with excess alcohol and causing serious injuries by dangerous driving.
- Case 2 – Life changing injuries – Driving whilst under the influence of drugs and careless driving.
- Case 3 – Causing the death of a husband and father of 4 – Driving with excess alcohol and causing death by dangerous driving.
- Case 4 – Life changing injuries – Driving with excess alcohol and causing serious injury by careless driving.
Whilst it may be seeking a counsel of perfection to expect there will never be a collision on the roads, when there are 41.2 million licensed vehicles in the UK, or that despite the advancement in vehicle safety, to expect no injury. It is however tragic and wholly avoidable when collisions are caused by those who not only drive their vehicles carelessly, but do so having chosen to drive whilst under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances.
In the cases highlighted above, there is a real chance that the accident would not have occurred and the devastating consequences avoided, if the drivers had not chosen to drive when they knew they were unfit to drive. If that is so, families would not have lost their father and victims not suffered the long term consequences of their injuries, through the reckless decisions of a negligent driver. The consequences of their actions will be and are severely punished by the courts, but often after the convicted driver has served their time in custody or driving ban, their victim is still suffering pain, not working, still requiring surgery and suffering long term consequences of the accident. Worst still, how do you ever punish someone for taking the life of another, having got behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming alcohol or taking drugs.
As Brake reflect on the outcome of a road traffic collision and the real life stories of the victims, it is important that we demand that drivers take responsibility for the avoidable consequences of their actions. As aside from the devastating life changing losses an accident will cause, we should also acknowledge the strain these accidents put on our emergency services and health service, whose invaluable work could be so better directed.
Mark has acted for the victims of road traffic collisions and is experienced in handling serious injury claims. He is experienced in ensuring a collaborative and cooperative approach in terms of progressing the claims of victims and ensuring the victim is placed at the heart of the claim and that rehabilitation is given as much focus during the claim as is the final financial settlement. He will also regularly support his clients through the criminal and coroners process to ensure they understand the outcomes and there relevance to any claim.
Rogers & Norton’s talented and knowledgeable Personal Injury team have many years’ experience handling all types of Personal Injury and clinical negligence claims, ranging from modest accidents to cases of the upmost severity that have had a life changing impact on the claimant, to fatalities with large dependency claims. For more information, visit our Personal Injury service pages or to arrange an appointment for a free initial discussion, please contact us by calling 01603 666001 or emailing enquiries@rogers-norton.co.uk.