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Car Crash Compensation
£5m for car crash teenager left with devastating injuries
By Ann-Marie Houghton, Lancashire Evening Post
A teenager left with severe brain injuries after a road smash has been awarded £5m in damages.
Christopher Simpson's life was destroyed by the accident on January 30 last year when his friend crashed his high performance car. Martin Lythgoe, 19, of The Oaks, Longton, near Preston, admitted dangerous driving and was sentenced to eight months in youth custody.
Now, almost one year to the day after the tragedy, Christopher, of Longley Close, Fulwood, Preston has been awarded £5.1 million in compensation.
Today his family welcomed the settlement.
In a statement released by parents Les and Linda, twin brother Nicholas and younger siblings Michael and Joanne, the family said: "When this accident happened, Christopher was a student at the University of Central Lancashire with a bright future before him".
"No amount of compensation can bring back that future which was cruelly snatched away. The award will enable Christopher to have the best possible care and medical treatment and to get the greatest possible enjoyment out of life".
"The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff, together with Christopher's friends, colleagues, teachers and lecturers who helped by visiting him. We will be able to put the legal side of all this behind us and get on with concentrating on doing our best for Christopher".
The settlement was finalised at the Sessions House on Lancaster Road by Mr Justice McKay. He told the court: "This is a tragedy for the family that a young man of promise has been damaged in this way. The settlement is a fair and reasonable result. It will not compensate the family for their loss - there can be no perfect solution in a case of this nature - but the best result has been achieved. It is a credit to the care and devotion of the family, their legal advisors and the insurers."
Christopher was 18 when the accident happened on a bridge on Coote Lane, Lostock Hall, en route from Longton to Bamber Bridge. He was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital's intensive care unit for two weeks, until he was transferred to the Moor Park nursing home, where he is today.
He was in a coma until July. Christopher and fellow student, Lee Wilde, had been travelling in Lythgoe's Vauxhall Corsa Xi and had told him to slow down. Soon afterwards, at the top of a hill on a bridge, the car became airborne and spun into the path of an oncoming van.
As doctors fought to save Christopher's life, Lythgoe tried to persuade Lee Wilde that he could not remember what happened. Police put the speed of the car at 64mph in a 40mph zone which became 30mph on the other side of the bridge.
Christopher's parents, Les and Linda, have not been able to work since the accident.
Today his solicitor, John Cooper, of Phil H Cuerden Solicitors, said: "This was a substantial claim and we take professional pride and satisfaction in a job well done. We would like to pay tribute to the exceptional devotion of the family which has ensured that Christopher has kept as well as he could do in a case of this nature."
"Christopher has benefited greatly from the devoted care of his parents, Les and Linda, and his twin brother Nicholas along with his younger brother Michael and sister Joanne. They have all been with Christopher on a daily basis since the accident occurred. The family are dedicated to doing everything possible to bring about some improvement but Christopher will always be severely affected by the consequences of this accident. The injuries have left Christopher permanently dependent on carers. He requires care 24 hours per day and seven days per week.
"The award of damages approved by the court will now be kept in trust by the court of protection for the benefit of Christopher to ensure that his future needs are met."
It is hoped that Christopher will be able to move back to the family home in Longley Close, once special alterations have been completed.
The compensation, which will be held in trust and will not go directly to the family, will go towards paying for the 24 hours a day care that he needs, which is estimated to cost on the region of £200,000 per year.
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