Woman risked losing leg after holiday scooter collision

Sonia Woodward suffered a deep wound after the brakes failed on the scooter she had hired to help her elderly father get round the island during their break. Realising it was going to career into a group of people while she was testing the scooter in the grounds of her hotel, Sonia was forced to steer away and collided with a signpost.

Sonia – who is a complex case manager and owner of Sonia Woodward Ltd, a business which supports seriously injured people to rebuild their lives – had to pay for emergency surgery in the local hospital in Tenerife, and then undergo further extensive surgery when she got back to the UK.

Such was the severity of her laceration and nerve damage, which saw her leg turn black by the time she returned home days after her first operation, Sonia was warned she may face amputation.

Thankfully, her leg was saved, thanks to the expertise of the surgeons Sonia turned to, who she works with in her role as a case manager. But even now, almost ten years on from the incident in October 2015, she continues to live with consequences including muscle and ankle weakness, significant scarring, hypersensitivity of the skin and pins and needles in her toes.

The traumatic injury is also linked to her subsequent diagnosis of fibromyalgia, a condition which affects muscles and soft tissue.

“My leg looks like I have suffered a shark bite. Even now, all these years later, I am living with the consequences of what happened,” says Sonia, from Cambridge.

“The whole ordeal has been absolutely horrendous, and it has taken almost ten years to get this settled – me and my family have even had to appear in court – but I am a strong person who is well used to fighting on behalf of my clients, so I was not going to give in to these insurers and was determined to fight.”

Sonia was on holiday with her husband Alan, her father – who has since sadly passed away – and some friends, when they decided to hire some scooters to get around the island. The two-people scooters were delivered to their hotel, and although training was given, Sonia instantly realised her brakes were not working and she could not stop.

While her father was thankfully unhurt in the incident, Sonia’s injury was the beginning of months of medical treatment and years of ongoing issues.

“Even now, my ankle continues to give way on me and the muscles aren’t very good. I have hypersensitivity to the extent that even the bedsheets can irritate my skin. I have to wear a pressure sock during the day and with the scarring and swelling of my ankle, I don’t like to wear dresses anymore,” says Sonia.

After undergoing surgery, Sonia had to have her leg elevated for several months and relied on the help of a wheelchair to get around. Her family and friends supported her in daily tasks, but she was determined to return to work.

“My clients have complex needs and I will always be there for them. I went back to work three weeks after my injury and I redesigned my office so it could accommodate my wheelchair with my leg lifted,” says Sonia.

“I had one client who was taken into hospital and I went in to visit him, only shortly after my own injury. His family were so grateful that I’d come in, but why wouldn’t I do that? My clients are my priority and I’ll always be there for them.

“I do think work has helped me to get through this whole ordeal, the fact I have had the needs of others to focus on, and also that I see the huge determination of my clients to overcome the significant challenges they face in recovering from their injuries. This was a huge help to me.”

While law firm Slater and Gordon were appointed shortly after Sonia’s injury to pursue a claim, the defendant – Mapfre, the scooter company’s insurers - denied any liability and twice appealed the level of damages awarded, with the Court of Appeal making the final ruling in Sonia’s favour.

Nicholas Lukacs, a travel accident lawyer who specialises in handling claims from overseas, acted for Sonia in securing a settlement.

“This was an absolutely horrific incident for Sonia, who went from enjoying a holiday with family and friends to facing the very real prospect of having to lose her leg due to the severity of the injury she suffered on this defective scooter,” says Nicholas.

“We have supported Sonia through what proved a very extensive process to finalise a settlement, successfully winning two appeals brought by the defendant along the way. She has shown huge resilience and determination and we are glad to have secured a positive outcome.”