A horse rider who was seriously injured after an accident involving a motorcycle has won her six year battle for compensation.
Michaela Devereux suffered personality altering brain damage which put stress and strain on her marriage, and lead to the loss of her business.
The incident, which happened in the New Forest, caused Mrs Devereux and her husband to go bankrupt.
The accident happened when the horse she was riding became alarmed by a motorcycle’s exhaust. The motorcycle collided with one of the horse’s legs causing it to bolt.
Mrs Devereux was thrown from the saddle, and landed head first on the ground, fracturing her skull. She was not wearing a helmet.
She was treated at Southampton General Hospital where her husband Steve was warned she may die.
The Devereuxs were given the go ahead to claim compensation in 2006 at Winchester District Registry.
Lord Justice Hughes at London’s Civil Appeal Court refused permission for the insurers of the motorcyclist to contest the ruling. This means Mrs Devereux, 43, could be in line for a compensation payout of around £500,000.
Speaking from the couple’s home in Sway, she said: “I saw a motorcyclist coming towards me and that’s the last thing I remember.
“Apparently, I ended up lying in the road, covered in blood. One of the police officers who dealt with the accident met me a few months later and said he was amazed I was still alive.”
Speaking about her ongoing health battle she said: “I had difficulty walking for about 18 months and had to cling on to my husband’s arm.
“I was also diagnosed with a range of disorders including paranoia, post traumatic stress disorder and depression, and will probably be on medication for the rest of my life.
“I used to buy and sell children’s ponies but then I had the accident and that was the end of my business.
“I’ve got to accept I’m never going to be the person I was.”
He husband, who had to dissolve two businesses to care for his wife and their four children, said: “What we need now is closure. Hopefully, with the cognitive therapy, I can return to being her husband instead of her carer.”
