Father of four feels ‘lucky to be alive’ after horror crash

Father-of-four Martell Robinson was initially thought to only have minor injuries when his Subaru Impreza was involved in a collision with a Mercedes-Benz at the junction of Elm Road and Churchill Road in Wisbech at around 8.15pm on 13 September last year.

He was initially taken by ambulance to accident and emergency and then discharged home. However, six weeks later while driving on a motorway, the 28 year old experienced sudden severe headaches, pressure and the loss of his vision and hearing.

Martell phoned his GP the following day and was referred straight back to hospital. Further scans confirmed that he had a massive bleed on his brain. After doctors said that he had a 50/50 chance of survival, Martell, who lives in Wisbech, successfully underwent life-saving surgery at Addenbrookes Hospital on 3 November.

Since the crash, Martell has been very reliant on his partner Lorna. He continues to suffer a range of problems as a result of his head injury including severe headaches and extreme fatigue, while he can also become very distressed in a range of situations.

He said: “The crash happened very fast and I was knocked out. I didn’t realise what was happening when I came round.

“I felt unwell after the crash for several days. However, I was in a really bad way after the incident on the motorway with the headaches and loss of vision, so I knew I needed medical help. To discover I had a bleed on the brain and that it was 50/50 whether I would survive was very scary. I feel lucky to be alive.

Following the ordeal, Martell instructed specialist serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the crash and help him access specialist support and therapies to overcome his injuries.

Now, as part of their ongoing work, the legal experts at Irwin Mitchell are calling on anyone who witnessed the crash to come forwards and provide vital information which will assist with the investigation.

Neil Whiteley, the Partner and serious injury expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Cambridge office who represents Martell, said: “This is a case which highlights the huge impact that road traffic collisions can have on those involved, with the true extent of Martell’s injuries only becoming apparent weeks after the incident. A bleed on the brain can be particularly dangerous as they are not always spotted straight away and can become more obvious when the condition may be close to critical.

“We are determined to help Martell access the support that he continues to require to overcome his injuries the best he can, but we need more information about the collision. We are aware of at least one witness who saw the crash and we would be keen to hear from them or others in relation to it.”

The incident was reported to Cambridgeshire Police who attended at the scene and investigated but who took no further action.

Martell added: “The past few months have been among the hardest in my life, but I hope that I will be able to access support which will ensure I can move forward from what happened. I would be hugely grateful to anyone who could help me by shedding more light on the incident – any detail could make a major difference.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Emma Smith at Irwin Mitchell’s Cambridge office on 01223 791807 or email [email protected]