3PB Barristers - Winchester

Last year I was found to have a ‘Syrinx’ on my spine, after 15 years of unexplained back pain, weakness and many other unexplained symptoms all since my accident in 1995.

I was hit by a drugged up driver whilst riding my motorbike and taken to Poole Hospital.

I had many injuries, including shattered hands, brain and spinal injuries.

I was unable to move from the chest down for several days.

The nurses repeatedly tried to get me seen by a Neurologist, but this was prevented, by Dr Vinod K Panchbhavi.

A nurse then re-broke my broken wrist, accidentally, although to be fair they had forgotten to plaster or pin it! Bless!

We picked up a leaflet for Lester Aldridge, Personal Injury lawyers, in the Family Room on the ward.

I came out of hospital, saw Karen Thompson and told her that I had  serious head and spinal injuries and had not seen a Neurologist yet.  

We did not know this was Negligence but she obviously did.
She said she had previously been a Nurse and could therefore understand my injuries and who I would need to see.

We found out after settling my claim that she was married to a Dr at the hospital.  More recently we found that Poole Hospital had many connections to Lester Aldridge, She had also previously worked at the hospital making them all ‘friends’.  

All of which we now know was a ‘Conflict of Interest’, again something she knew but we didn’t.

I saw Dr Burns 4 months later (NHS) I said I was unable to move from the chest down for days and that I had convulsions when coming round from my 1st Op. I understand now that this should have prompted a MRI to look for a 'syrinx'. A ‘Syrinx’ in accidents like mine is highly probable and a ‘must know’ by any Personal Injury Lawyer, or Neurologist.
Nothing was done.  

We asked Karen Thompson on many occasions why I had not seen anyone about my Brain or Spinal Injuries and she just said she would use Dr Burns (Neuro Rehab) and Dr Ellis, (Neurosurgeon) at Poole Hospital, but NEVER sent me to see them.  

I was still unable to gain complete control of my arms and legs, and fell over and  was unable to regain any strength. The last 4 years I had only seen Dr Moffat, Psychologist, on the NHS.  I thought he was a Neurologist. Dr Moffat was constantly in touch with Karen Thompson. Nothing was ever done about anything I told him.  He did tests over the years, which were referred to by Dr Burns and Dr Ellis in their reports as being done by them. The appointments immediately stopped when the case settled.   
 
In 2000, D Sproule of Beachcroft Wansbroughs, (Defendants Lawyers) sent me for a MRI of my Brain and spine. Their experts said the weakness in my arms, hands and legs, could not be explained by my ‘recorded’ injuries.  I was only told about the brain MRI but my spine was clearly MR Imaged.

Karen Thompson said she had been trying to prevent these MRI’s.  I was puzzled, as  I had no objection to them, but was fed up with the spinal pain and 3 day headaches the train journeys caused.

She did not add a spinal MRI, but asked for MRI of my knee and elbow!! At this time, I found myself being whisked into the office, to meet, Mark Lomas QC, who I now know is a specialist in PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE.  I had not seen my solicitor in 5 years. I was told the Legal Aid was insufficient!  During the meeting, he looked to her and said they agreed they saw no need for me to have MRI's.  

I tried to tell him about the MRI’s.  I was cut dead, Mark Lomas saw this, and I remember thinking it must be some technical point, that I was not allowed to discuss with him. She said nothing about them!  I was very confused, not hard I have a brain injury.  Mark Lomas did an initial report which mentioned everything, the Brain Injury and the Full Body Whiplash and the Severe Spinal Cord Trauma. I told Karen Thompson  I was pleased with this as it covered everything the judge needed to know. She was desperate to get it back telling me it was her only copy.  

I sent it back and again, asked about my MRI results.  I was told there was nothing shown on them. I asked for them and was told that I could not have them and I would not understand them. I was told that 'having taken advice from the Barrister, Mark Lomas, she had decided not to use my Neurological MRI results!! I asked how could this be as they were requested and paid for by the Defendants.   She told me that they were requested and paid for by our side in the end. I now know this was all blatant lies.   Even my recent brain MRI without contrast shows the damage from my brain injury, now 15 years old.

Mark Lomas' report to the judge contains points that show he must have had copies of the MRI's.  Within weeks of all this I suddenly get an offer from the Defendant’s Legal Team.
At the same time I get a new report to the Judge from Mark Lomas, with all reference to Dr Burns report on my ‘Full Body Whiplash, and Severe Spinal Cord Trauma’ removed.  

I phoned Karen Thompson and asked how I change lawyers, as I had completely lost confidence and felt that Mark Lomas QC, was completely incompetent, that his new report was full of mistakes and blatant lies to the judge.  It suddenly bore no resemblance to his initial perfectly correct report.  

How could I trust them?  

I was told that my Legal Aid Certificate was held by her. She told me not to worry it was all just a mistake.  Not hard to con me, because I find it very hard to remember and work things out, and am completely honest and trusting.  She then told me I had to let her know within 2 days whether I was going to accept the offer as she was going away and that If the judge was to offer 1p less (should I decide to go to court) then I would lose most of my settlement as I would have to pay everyone’s costs.  

Karen Thompson told me that she could not advise me in anyway with regard to the offer, and that I had to make the decision entirely on my own with no help from Alan my husband, or anyone else.  I have a brain injury which was worse then, I could not make decisions to cross the road let alone work out that this was all wrong.

I felt that I had to settle as I was frightened that the judge would throw out my case as the barrister report was full of blatant lies.

I did not realize that they must have done a deal of some kind with the Defendant’s lawyers to disregard my MRI’s.  Nor that the Defendants Legal Team would not just drop MRI scans that showed nothing wrong with me!  If it had been true that would have been stupid!   

The only conclusion that I can come to from all of this is: that Karen Thompson was covering up for; Dr Burns, Dr Panchbhavi and Poole Hospital and that when this backfired,  Mark Lomas was brought in to cover up for her and Lester Aldridge, and the aforementioned Dr’s and hospital.  As it was in all their interests to do so.  

Just one big snowball of deceit and lies, thundering on until it hit me, not them, they made sure of that.

No one was protecting me.  I told the truth with no embellishments whatsoever, through my entire 5 years of dealing with everyone in my claim.

It appears that no one else told the truth and that no one has any scruples, or morals.  These people are despicable having put their inability to own up to a mistake above the value of my life.

The irony is that if anyone had bothered to tell me that a syrinx had been found on my spine, I would have been relieved to know what was wrong with me.  I would not have sued any of them for a mistake.  But for 15 years of lies and suffering?

I would have also have been able to get a ‘correct settlement’ for my injuries.
Instead the lies and cover ups, have cost me my health and a completely inadequate settlement.  Meaning I will be a burden on my husband.

My future is full of pain, disability and loss of dignity, with the possibility of dying every night when I go to sleep, and the delightful prospect of paraplegia or quadriplegia.

Now, I am left contemplating while I write my book, about exactly what happened.

I am not saying exactly what I am going to do about this, other than, ‘I will not go quietly into the night’.

Click on the web link below for more information.

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3PB Barristers - Winchester

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