A woman who lost her hearing in a car accident is to sue the driver of the other vehicle.

Paige Elliott was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by a relative when she claims they were rear-ended ‘at speed’ by a Land Rover in July 2024.

The force of the impact is alleged to have caused damage to her cochlear implant, a device that allowed her to hear from the age of two after she was born deaf.

She has now launched a civil action against the driver claiming the crash ‘upended’ her life.

The 26-year-old, from Kinglassie, Fife, said the implant gave her a chance of a ‘normal’ life but since the accident she has had to rely on her hearing aid dog Fiji for help and is unable to speak on the phone or listen to music. 

She said: ‘Physically and emotionally, the crash just completely upended my life.

‘When I lost the implant it was terrifying – to suddenly be thrust back into a world of silence was jarring, scary and you feel incredibly alone.’ 

The accident left Ms Elliott with soft tissue damage to her face and neck. 

She claims the impact caused her head to ricochet off the headrest which left her with a concussion and dislodged her cochlear impact.

Ms Elliott said: ‘It was a few seconds after the crash that I realised something wasn’t right as I couldn’t hear people talking around me.

‘It was really scary as on top of the shock and the pain I felt that I couldn’t communicate what was happening to me.’

Medics have implanted a new device, but she says she is having issues understood to be a result of internal scar tissue.

She said: ‘I can’t even hear fire alarms anymore and my grandfather’s voice now sounds like a woman’s voice which is unpleasant for us both.’

It has not been revealed how much Ms Elliott is suing for. But Ryan Smith, a partner at Digby Brown Solicitors, said: ‘We are committed to ensuring [Paige] gets the treatment and positive outcome she deserves.’