A young woman who was left paralysed and in need of 24-hour care after being hit by a car was awarded £8.5 million in compensation today, in what her lawyer claims is the largest personal injury payout in UK legal history.

Leanne Evans, 22, was hit as she used a pelican crossing near her home in Erdington, Birimingham, nine years ago.

Her solicitor, Richard Langton of Russell Jones and Walker, believes the payout - awarded at the High Court in Birmingham this morning - is the largest ever awarded for a personal injury claim.

Mr Langton, who is president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, 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.”

Miss Evans, who was aged 13 at the time, 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 said: “Leanne’s situation is exceptional. She was an extremely bright girl with an equally bright future in front of her. She deserves as much help as possible to allow her to live as normal a life as she can."

The 79-year-old driver was convicted of careless driving and given a £75 fine.

Miss Evans’ father, Ivor Evans, 49, said the money would help pay for the constant medical care she requires and give her some quality of life.

“We are very pleased for Leanne. This award will at least give her a limited quality of life and allow her to enjoy some of the things that every other 22-year-old likes to do as well as making sure she has all the medical care that she needs," Mr Evans said.

Miss Evans, who was not present in court, needs constant physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and psychotherapy, as well as a specially-adapted vehicle to help her get around. Her parents, Ivor and Sandra, have both given up work to look after their daughter.

Mr Langton said the £8.5 million award would be administered by the Court of Protection throughout the rest of Miss Evans’ life.

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

Earlier, the judge congratulated both the Evans’ and the driver’s insurers for their “compromise” and “common sense” in agreeing on the settlement.

The court heard that Miss Evans had already been paid £340,000 in compensation, which helped towards equipment and medical care. She will now receive a further £8.2 million, bringing the total compensation awarded to just over £8.5 million.

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