A young mum who lost a leg in a hit-and-run incident is suing the driver who hit her at 81mph for £1 million so she can pay for a lifetime of prosthetics.
Kerrie Lavery's leg was instantly severed when Thomas Granger, 47, ploughed his BMW into the 25-year-old at near-top speed as she walked home from a charity event in Scotland on October 2, 2021. She and a friend, Alanah Boyle, 29 - who sustained a fractured pelvis when she was struck by the car - were walking arm-in-arm as they crossed a road near Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, at the time.
Granger was sentenced to 33 months behind bars following a May trial, where he was also handed a seven-year driving ban. Now, Kerrie's lawyers have said, the mum, from Drumchapel, Glasgow, is seeking damages from the driver to cover a multitude of expenses incurred by the incident, including her need for a prosthetic limb.
The Daily Record reported that Digby Brown, her legal representatives, raised a claim for compensation in the Court of Session earlier this month. He said the six-figure sum would cover the cost of a lifetime of prosthetics, and provide compensation for the impact on her personal and working life, and lost earnings.
A spokesman for the personal injury specialists commended the mum for her "strength" but said she needs "support, treatment and compensation". Speaking on Kerrie's behalf, they said: "For three years Kerrie has shown a strength few others can comprehend and she has shown remarkable resilience and positivity throughout her recovery.
“The loss of a limb is a truly life-changing injury and it is only right that an affected person gets the support, treatment and compensation they deserve – especially when that injury was the fault of someone else. This is why a court action has now been raised on Kerrie’s behalf and we will continue to support her to ensure she accesses the best care and most positive future possible.”
In a victim impact statement, Kerrie said it was right that Granger - who sped off after mowing down the mum and her friend and returned to the scene before fleeing again when friends suspected he was behind the hit-and-run - be "held accountable" and hailed an "appropriate ending" to her ordeal following his sentencing.
She said: “I’m not a bitter or vengeful person but I think it is right that he is held accountable as everything that happened around this incident sends a really strong message to people about road safety and justice so it’s important that it has, I guess, an appropriate ending."