Nicki Webber, of Bircotes, Notts, was picking chestnuts with her family by the side of the road when she was knocked down by a car.

She suffered serious head injuries which left her brain damaged and needing care for the rest of her life.

Following the accident, in 1990, Miss Webber was in a waking coma for eight weeks. Her family were told that she had suffered serious brain damage and would never walk or talk again.

But Miss Webber has made a remarkable recovery and although she still has problems with her short-term memory and needs to use a mobility scooter to get around, she recently managed to pass her A-level exams.

Initially, her family sued the driver of the car which struck her and, after negotiations and advice from a firm of solicitors, her claim was settled in 1996 for £150,000.

However, London's High Court heard that in agreeing to settle her case her legal team had 'made an error' which meant the case was settled at a fraction of its potential value.

The Webbers hired a new legal team successfully sued the solicitors firm and barristers who initially advised them. They agreed to hand over £1million in damages without admitting liability.

Miss Webber, 26, a Harworth and Bircotes parish councillor, said: "No amount of money can make up for what I have been through over the last 17 years.

"People have come to accept me for who I am – Nicki with a disability – and I don't want this money to change that."

The money will be used to pay for Miss Webber's on-going care and will help make her life more comfortable.