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Crash Victim Wins £500,000 Damages Down Payment

In a case which reveals that the law can work fast in coming to the aid of negligence victims, a pensioner who was left wheelchair dependent by a motorcycle accident will be able to move into a suitable home of his own after a judge awarded him a £500,000 down payment on the compensation due to him.

The man, aged 70, sustained devastating spinal injuries in the accident and needed funds to buy a specially adapted home that would greatly improve his quality of life. His lawyers launched proceedings against the driver of the car, who had pleaded guilty to careless driving after knocking him off his bike at a junction.

In sanctioning the interim payment, a little over two years after the accident, the judge rejected the defendant's argument that the pensioner had been partially responsible for the collision. Following a final assessment, his damages award is almost certain to run well into seven figures and there were compelling reasons why he should have £500,000 straight away.

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