Injury claim news
20/09/2011

Leg amputee used payout to become millionaire businessman

A man who was awarded £2.1m in car accident compensation when he was a teenager has turned his life around after using the compensation money to set up his business.

The accident took place in 1996 when the man, who was 15-years-old at the time, was riding as a pillion passenger on a motorbike which was involved in a collision with a Land Rover.

The accident left him with personal injuries that were so severe he was forced to have his left leg amputated from above the knee. He spent 18 months in hospitals and rehabilitation centres.

Eight years later he was awarded £2.1m in car accident compensation as well as contributions towards his future accommodation. This was believed to be the highest ever payout to an amputee victim at that time in the UK.

Turning his back on his dreams to work in theatre, the claimant used his compensation money to set up a property development company in Newbury and he is now worth nearly £9m.

The businessman divides his time between his homes in Norfolk and central London. He currently also has plans to extend the business to the US by 2013.

Despite his success, the millionaire property developer admitted to making some reckless decisions following his car accident compensation payout, before investing in his own business.