Scott v Lake – QBD 8 April 1997
Claimant: Christopher Scott, 2Incident: Road traffic accident
Injuries: Claimant, 18 at time of accident, left in persistent vegetative state after accident. Can only be fed through tube, is unable to do anything for himself and is cared for at a nursing home close to his family home in Rochdale. Court was told that because of the drunken state of plaintiff at the time of the accident, proving liability would have been difficult.
Award: £200,000 agreed damages
Judge: Deputy judge Nigel Wilkinson QC
Plaintiff's counsel: John Crowley QC
Plaintiff's solicitor: Taylor Vinters, Cambridge
Flemming v MoD – QBD 9 April 1997
Claimants: Glenis Flemming, 34, and children of the family
Incident: Road traffic accident
Injuries: Serviceman killed when armoured car skidded during exercise and crashed. Wife and children of deceased sought damages in respect of death of Lance Corporal Paul Flemming, 30, who was killed when a Fox armoured car he was commanding crashed during an exercise in West Germany. Pleadings alleged that Fox reconnaissance vehicles had been involved in 189 accidents between 1979 and 1989, with 11 fatalities, and should have been withdrawn from service.
Award: £260,000 agreed damages
Judge: Deputy judge Viscount Colville of Culross QC
Plaintiff's counsel: Nigel Gilmour QC
Plaintiff's solicitor: Brown Turner, Southport
Finn v Higgs and Hill Building and ors – QBD 8 April 1997
Claimant: Sarah Finn, 6Incident: Fatal fall at building site
Injuries: Carpenter, Daniel Finn, 52, killed when staircase collapsed under him at building site during renovation work at the Indian High Commission, London W1, on 23 February 1989. Widow claimed damages on her own behalf and on behalf of their two children who were aged 12 and 14 at the time of their father's death.
Award: £115,000, agreed damages
Judge: Deputy judge Geoffrey Brice QC
Plaintiff's counsel: Colin Nixon
Plaintiff's solicitor: Edwards Son & Noice, Ilford
