A car accident victim has been paid, her lawyer claims, the largest personal injury payout in UK legal history, according to sources.

The young woman, who was left paralysed and in need of 24-hour care after being hit by a car was awarded £8.5m reports said.

Leanne Evans, 22, was hit as she used a pelican crossing near her home in Erdington, Birimingham, nine years ago. She suffered a serious brain injury and now relies on a wheelchair. She also has severe memory impairment and needs eight carers to look after her around the clock.

Mr Langton, is president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, and Evans' lawyer, said: “There is no foolproof method of knowing for sure as some cases go unreported, but I've been doing this for 20 years and I'm confident this is the biggest award of its kind.”

The compensation will be paid by Norwich Union, the convicted driver's insurance company, which admitted liability, a spokesman for Mr Langton's firm, told sources.