Grieving family secures more than £600,000 after tragic loss of much-loved mum in fatal cycling accident

“Another firm charged me £4,000 for investigations then turned down my case. I’m so glad I came to Digby Brown for a second opinion.” 

A grieving partner praised Digby Brown’s unique no win no fee funding model for protecting his and his young son’s future.

Chris Renton was left devasted following the death of his partner, Helen, in a cycling accident.

Helen, an avid and skilled cyclist, was out training for her upcoming solo charity bike ride from Land’s End to John o' Groats.

The mum-of-three was approaching a bridge and tight right corner on the A710 in Caulkerbush when a van travelling in the opposite direction braked heavily, causing the vehicle to skid to its right and a collision with Helen followed.

There were warning signs about the blind corner and the upcoming bridge - signs the van driver should have seen and adjusted his driving for. Had he done so he would have had enough time and space to react safely - and the collision could have been avoided.

Paramedics were called but Helen passed away at the scene - just two weeks after her 44th birthday.

Chris said: “Devastated. That’s the only word for it.

“Helen and I had met later in life and we were living to the fullest to make up for lost time. We have a son together called Charlie who was three at the time of the accident.

“If I didn’t have Charlie I would have given up, but he kept me going.”

Following her death, Chris went to a law firm local to him for help with a posthumous personal injury claim, but after just four weeks the case was turned down as they believed there were no prospects of success - and he was left with a £4,000 bill to pay.

Chris, who was already vulnerable after losing his partner, said he slipped deeper into depression. 

A friend recommended Digby Brown for a second opinion and our “No Win, No Fee” funding meant he didn’t have to pay any upfront costs to take the case forward.

He met with Senior Associate Lee Murray based in Digby Brown’s Ayr office and while initially apprehensive following his experience with the previous law firm, Chris was delighted with Lee’s commitment and compassion to the case and his family.

He said: “Lee was very good and empathised with me.

“He was furious when he found out the other firm had charged me thousands of pounds after turning down my case.” 

Insurers for the van driver denied fault for the accident but made an offer a few months into the claim of £250,000.

However, Lee was conscious any compensation would be the family’s sole income as Chris’ Universal Credit would stop and Helen was the household’s main earner.

With the future of Chris and three-year-old, Charlie, on his mind, Lee continued to negotiate for a financial settlement which would support them for life.

He gathered statements from witnesses and police and organised for data from Helen’s Garmin watch to be analysed in a bid to establish the mum-of-three’s speed and road position.

From there, Lee built a case which argued the van driver failed in his duty to drive with due care and attention which could have prevented the incident.

With the right evidence, a final offer of more than half a million pounds was reached for the family.

Chris said: “Digby Brown isn’t a firm who were looking to get a bit more in their pockets, Lee genuinely cared. He even had a tear in his eye when he told me the settlement amount.

“He worked as hard as he could and tried to get us as much as he could so we could be financially secure – he was very good.

“The way Digby Brown works with no win no fee was much better than the last law firm I went to. I didn’t have to worry about paying thousands of pounds again to get nothing.

“I’d 100% recommend Digby Brown.”

Lee added: “This was a difficult case with limited evidence, but I knew I had to do everything I could to fight for justice for the family.

"When the initial offer was received we had to consider how long it would last for Chris and Charlie - it would be their sole income as Chris would lose his benefits.

“The importance of supporting the family wasn’t lost on me when we pushed for more, but I’m very happy we were able to secure the financial security they deserved.”

At Digby Brown it’s important everyone can access justice no matter their financial situation. 

You can find out more about how “No Win, No Fee” claims work here.