Law Weblog

£9.5m, compensation paid – a record pay-out

Monday 4 June 2007 at 3:22 pm | In News | Post Comment

Waseem Sarwar a 17-year-old A-level student was a back seat passenger involved in a car accident.

His skull and spine injuries have left him severely disabled. He will need 24-hour care for the rest of his life at a cost of almost £180,000 a year.

He was not wearing a seat belt and the driver was not insured. The Motor Insurers Bureau, the industry body that compensates victims of uninsured drivers, will pay the compensation.

Mr Justice Lloyd Jones assessed Waseem’s damages at £9,544,628 the biggest ever award made by a UK court in a personal injury case.

The award will be reduced by 25%, to £7,158,471,because not wearing a seat-belt is contributory negligence. Nevertheless, it remains among the highest payouts ever made.

The money will be paid in the form of a lump sum of more than £2.8 million. Periodical payments will cover his care costs.