Car crash victim wins £8.35m payout
A car passenger who was left paralysed and brain damaged after an uninsured driver crashed into a ditch has won one of the UK's highest compensation awards.
Wheelchair-bound Lukasz Borowski, 27, was awarded a £8.35 million long-term care package at Newcastle High Court on Tuesday.
Mr Borowski, from Pontefract in West Yorkshire, was travelling to work in the back seat of Rozell Sands' Peugeot 307 when the accident happened in Cambridgeshire in November 2005.
Although the uninsured Sands was convicted of offences connected to the crash in May 2006, Mr Borowski suffered damage to his spinal cord, brain and fractured his spine.
Since then he has been unable to move or feel any sensations below the level of his shoulders, and has developed problems with his attention span, concentration and memory as a result of his injuries.
The Motor Insurer's Bureau (MIB), which works to protect victims injured by uninsured drivers and who might not have any other chance to gain compensation, helped reach the settlement.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell also helped to secure Mr Borowski's care package. John Davis, an injury lawyer with the company, said the value was designed to provide for his client's long term needs, and reflected the scale of his injuries and impact the accident had on his life.
"Mr Borowski's injuries are not just physical. He shows signs of a changed personality, suffers memory problems, attention deficit and a lack of concentration. He is bright and intelligent, and can be charming and considerate, but also suffers from rapid mood swings," Mr Davis said.