£18,000 for crash model who can’t wear heels
A BEAUTY queen received £18,000 in damages yesterday after a car crash left her unable to wear high heels comfortably.
Fiona Dickie, 24, was hit by a 4x4 while driving, leaving her with back injuries that make slipping into stilettos a painful experience.
The 5ft 6in part-time model returned to work a week later and coped with her duties as a sales manager at a brewer’s by avoiding lifting and wearing flat shoes.
But she was forced to cut down on promotional jobs where she was expected to wear high heels because it aggravated her back.
And she was unable to fulfil her obligation to take part in many charity events after winning the Miss Edinburgh contest in 2010, a year after the accident. Yesterday, Judge Gordon Reid QC said: ‘Her ability to participate in the usual range of such events was limited because of her back pain.
‘She felt she was letting people down by not participating in as many events as she would otherwise have done.
‘She gave as an example various fun runs in which she was not able to participate.’
The accident happened shortly after midnight in April 2009 as Miss Dickie returned home from working at a drinks promotion event in Edinburgh.
Her Peugeot was hit by a Suzuki 4X4 which passed her on the inside before pulling out to avoid a parked vehicle.
She was diagnosed with chronic lower back pain and sued Mohammadreza Khandani, who was driving the Suzuki, for damages.
Liability was admitted and a hearing took place yesterday at the Court of Session in Edinburgh to award compensation.
The judge said: ‘This is not the conduct of a malingerer or someone seeking to secure the most compensation possible. She has adopted a sensible attitude to her back problems. She knows she can wear high heels but will suffer the next day for doing so.’
He awarded Miss Dickie £18,281, including £10,000 for her pain and suffering.