Gran left with permanent scar after bus horror awarded five-figure sum

“My head had been cut open – all I did was get on a bus.”

Tired after a long shift, support worker Susan Watson just wanted to get home – but in an instant a normal bus journey took a turn for the worse.

As the Lothian Buses double decker waited at traffic lights at the junction of Clermiston Road and Queensferry Road in Edinburgh a van suddenly slammed into its side.

The jolt sent 62-year-old Susan hurtling across the top deck aisle and onto the floor.

She said: “I remember my face hitting off the floor and then was suddenly aware I was screaming.

“I felt instant pain in my nose and my head – there was blood everywhere.”

Paramedics were called to the scene of the bus accident and Susan was taken by ambulance to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where medics confirmed she had a deep laceration in her forehead, swelling around her nose and facial bruising.

The gran from Leith needed seven stitches to close her forehead wound and was advised by staff to take painkillers and rest.

She started to feel dizzy and sick a few days after the accident and her GP confirmed she had a delayed concussion. Headaches and nausea persisted for five weeks but the changes to her face left a lasting impact on her self-esteem.

Susan said: “I thought it would only be a small scratch I was left with and I didn’t actually want to look at it at first but when I did it was pretty horrific.

“It’s right in the middle of my face and very hard to hide – makeup made it worse and drew more attention to it.

“I kept replaying what happened in my head wishing I had made the earlier bus, but then it might have been someone else who was injured at the hands of the van driver.

“I was angry because he gets to move on from this, I’ve been left with a scar for the rest of my life.”

The support worker decided to contact Digby Brown for help with a bus accident claim where she met Catriona Headley, Partner in our Edinburgh office.

She investigated the circumstances of the collision and gathered police reports.

This meant she could build a case around the argument that the van driver failed to drive with consideration for other road users, causing significant injury to Susan as a result.

Medical records were gathered and experts instructed to fully assess the extent and future impact of Susan’s injuries, both physical and psychological, to work out a fair value of compensation.

The clinical psychologist found that she was suffering from PTSD and had anxieties around travelling – especially by bus.

It was thought she could benefit from therapy sessions to help her adjust to her new life after the accident – not just to build her mental strength but to come to terms with her scar.

Also included in Susan’s claim for compensation was funds for botox injections, micro-needling treatments and skin camouflage products to reduce the appearance of her scar.

She said: “I didn’t get on a bus for a month after the accident and when I eventually did I wouldn’t sit upstairs and would feel claustrophobic if there were too many people around.

“I was dubious about the psychotherapy but it was such a great help.

“My grandkids always wanted to sit at the top of the bus – as kids do – and I can go up with them now confidently.

“I’d say I’m still self-conscious of my scar but the treatments and products that Digby Brown secured for me are already making a difference.”

The insurers admitted liability early on so Catriona was able to secure an interim payment for Susan of £10,000 to help her cover a years’ worth of skin camouflage makeup and other immediate costs.

With the right evidence and provisions for Susan’s future, her case settled for £65,000 inclusive of her interim payment.

Susan concluded: “I knew I had to make a claim because my accident should never have happened – all I did was get on a bus.

“I’d like to say a sincere thank you to Gail who helped me at the beginning of my case and Catriona who continued the fight for me until the end.

“I didn’t feel like I was going through it alone because everyone was so understanding – they went above and beyond to help me.

“I didn’t have to worry about treatment costs, they took care of everything for me - there was no financial impact on me.

“My advice to anyone wondering if they have a claim is go for it, pick up the phone and speak to Digby Brown.”

The van driver, who had 46 previous convictions, was charged by police and convicted of driving a vehicle without the consent of owner, without insurance and causing serious injury to Susan.