Settlement: case in progress
What Happened:
As a schoolboy, Sifso* joined a neighbour to do some holiday work at a restaurant. While trying to board a train to get home, he was pushed by other passengers, severely injuring his legs, which were later amputated, and his head, leaving him wheelchair-bound. Sifso’s brain injury left him with limited communication abilities and the need for 24-hour care.
My Story
Sfiso’s brothercis one of his caregivers.
“Our neighbour phoned my family when the train accident happened to tell us that our brother had been hurt. We heard he’d been taken to Groote Schuur Hospital and that his legs were so badly damaged he had to have surgery to amputate them. He was only a teenager.
The problem was his head injury. They sent him to Lentegeur Hospital, where he stayed for ten years. Because his brain damage had made him have very violent reactions, he didn’t know how to socialise with people anymore, and he lost his memory. Rehabilitation helped, and after a decade, he was discharged and came back to live with our family. We are three other brothers and my mother in Khayelitsha.”
The Road to Rehabilitation
“Our neighbour phoned my family when the train accident happened to tell us that our brother had been hurt. We heard he’d been taken to Groote Schuur Hospital and that his legs were so badly damaged he had to have surgery to amputate them. He was only a teenager.
The problem was his head injury. They sent him to Lentegeur Hospital, where he stayed for ten years. Because his brain damage had made him have very violent reactions, he didn’t know how to socialise with people anymore, and he lost his memory. Rehabilitation helped, and after a decade, he was discharged and came back to live with our family. We are three other brothers and my mother in Khayelitsha.”
Shattered Dreams
“Although we were happy to have Sfiso home, it has been very hard, and our life has never been the same. Before the accident, Sfiso was a very handy and happy person, always helping in the home and fixing things. He was a good student and hoping to study to be a doctor, and dreamed of being called “Dr Sfiso”. We were a very close family, but the pressure of the trauma made it tense at home.”
Finding a Personal Injury Lawyer
“My father was still alive then, and for many years we tried to claim compensation. We struggled to find someone who could help us. Then we met the people from Adendorff Attorneys Inc., and they helped make progress, even though so much time had passed since the accident.
When we get a pay-out, it will make such a difference. We will be able to move out of the shack we live in and get a suitable house for Sfiso. He is in a wheelchair, so having a toilet indoors will make his life better.
Adendorff Attorneys Inc. has been very helpful. They have ensured that we have financial support until our pay-out comes to keep my brother comfortable by providing money for clothes and house repairs.”
How We Helped
Adendorff Attorneys Inc. pursued a claim for personal injury and consequential loss against PRASA. Sfiso’s disabilities were assessed by our medical expert team, which includes neurologists and orthopaedic surgeons. As a result of his severe brain injury and amputation caused by the accident, he will need 24-hour care for the rest of his life.
Adendorff Attorneys Inc. is working on securing a multi-million rand settlement that will enable our client to access the necessary support, therapies and equipment he will require for the rest of his life.
How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
If you need some legal advice about your personal injury claim, why not contact Adendorff Attorneys Inc.? We specialise in representing injured people who have suffered from serious injury and have been left with medical bills, pain, suffering and loss of income.
