A young man has secured £1 million in compensation after he was hit by car on his way to school 10 years ago aged just 13.

Alby Dobinson, who is now 23, suffered a severe brain injury after he was struck by a car on the A12 on his way home from Shenfield High School, Essex on the last day of term before the Christmas holidays. 

The car threw Alby into the air and he landed five feet further along the road underneath a crash barrier.

His Mum, Lisa Walsh, told of how she rushed to the scene of where son had been hit after his friend called her.

She said: “I held his hand and begged him ‘come on Alby, wake up, wake up!’”

Alby had sustained a severe brain injury, his left leg was broken in three places, he had broken his left elbow and he had serious internal bruising to his lungs and pancreas.

Alby was transferred to Great Ormond Street’s intensive care unit where he spent two weeks before being transferred to the general neurology ward for a month before returning home to his local hospital, King George Hospital in Ilford to await referral to a specialist rehabilitation unit.

He was finally discharged from the rehabilitation centre in July 2009, nearly 20 months after the accident but left with permanent brain damage.

In 2015, Lisa got in contact with Novum Law solicitors to dicuss claiming compensation.

The firm took on her case and, after initially setting a trial date for October 9 2017, came to a settlement of £1 million on Tuesday October 3 2017.

Huw Ponting, solicitor at Novum Law, said: “This was a very difficult and complex case for everyone involved.

"The accident has had a profound impact on Alby’s life and the lives of his loved ones.

"A full 10 years’ on from that fateful December evening and he continues to suffer from the effects of the severe brain injury he sustained. His life will be very different from the one his mother Lisa envisaged for him.

"Alby will need care and support for the rest of his life and given his physical and cognitive limitations, may struggle to work or live independently."

“We are delighted with today’s settlement. Lisa now has peace of mind that she has the means to pay for the specialist therapies that Alby will need on an ongoing basis.

"It’s fantastic that she’s finally won some justice for her wonderful son.”

Lisa added: “It goes without saying that I am extremely grateful for Novum Law’s help and support and for their unshakeable conviction that we had a case worth pursuing.

"Without them, we faced a pretty bleak future where we lacked the financial resources to pay for Alby’s specialist care.

"It is a huge weight off my mind and I cannot thank Huw, his colleague Claire and their team enough.”