Briton wins ruling on injury abroad

A British man badly injured when he was hit by a car in France has won his bid to claim compensation in the UK in a case at the European Court of Justice. Deo Homawoo suffered a serious brain injury, leg fractures, lung damage and a broken wrist in the incident on August 29, 2007 but was left facing a smaller payout under the terms of an EU law which states residents of an EU member state can only claim compensation in the country where they were injured, rather than in their home country. However, in the official EU document two start dates for the policy were stated – August 19 2007 and January 11 2009 – leading to confusion in legal circles. The first date would have meant Mr Homawoo, 36, of London, would have had to make his claim in France, where personal injury payouts are less generous than in the UK, because his injury occurred prior to this date. EU judges have now ruled that the policy came into effect on January 11 2009, meaning that Mr Homawoo will be able to claim in the UK for his ongoing medical needs – he has not been able to work since the accident. The ruling means all Britons injured in accidents in other EU countries between August 19 2007 and January 11 2009 are entitled to claim compensation in the UK. IBB Solicitors has built a reputation for quality of service in pursuing compensation in cases involving accident, illness or death. If you would like advice on personal injury issues, you can contact a member of IBB’s Personal Injury team: call us on 08456 381381 or email pi@ibblaw.co.uk.