Personal injury news

Dyslexic makes compensation claim

A young woman who claims her career was ruined by teachers’ failure to deal properly with her dyslexia during her time at school has won the right to press ahead with a compensation claim, judges have ruled.

23-year-old Fiona Skipper, from Leeds, is planning to sue Calderdale Council and the governors of her secondary school, Crossley Heath, claiming ‘educational negligence’ thwarted her career hopes and affected her earning potential.

A county court judge originally threw out Miss Skipper’s compensation claim in December 2004, but that ruling has now been reversed following an appeal by her personal injury solicitors.

Although allowing the case to be pursued, Lord Justice Latham said he had some regrets about his decision, saying, “This case simply does not justify the expense which is likely to be incurred in taking the matter to trial.”

He added, “The rules do not permit us to dismiss a claim merely because we consider pursuing it to be disproportionate.”

Miss Skipper left her secondary school after sitting nine GCSEs, none of which were passed at A grade, before studying at college where she obtained only C, D and E grades in her A-levels. An application to join the RAF was later rejected.

Her compensation claim is being made on the basis that she alleges she would have achieved her ambition of becoming either a child psychologist or a member of the RAF if she had not received such patchy academic results because of her undiagnosed dyslexia.

She now works in a shop.