Post-Crash Stroke Pensioner Due Substantial Payout

A pensioner is in line for a seven-figure compensation award after the High Court ruled that a catastrophic stroke which he suffered in hospital was linked to his involvement in a head-on road crash three weeks earlier.

The pensioner suffered a fractured breastbone, broken foot and ruptured spleen in the accident. However, his condition was greatly worsened by the subsequent stroke, which rendered him wheelchair dependent and in need of specialist care.

The other driver's insurers accepted full liability for the accident but argued that there was no causal connection between the pensioner's crash injuries and the stroke. Had those arguments succeeded, his compensation package would have been reduced by about £200,000 a year.

However, in upholding the pensioner's case, the Court took into account powerful expert evidence in support of the argument that the accident was the probable cause of the stroke. The pensioner's damages have yet to be assessed, but are bound to be substantial given the extent of his lifelong care needs.