Man Wins Compensation after Life-changing Car Accident

Posted on Jul 03, 2009 
 

A 24 year old man has been awarded "very substantial" compensation after suffering significant brain damage in a car crash in 2003. 
 
Marcus Dean Julian, who was described as a "delightful and charming young man" during the court case, was 19 at the time of the accident which changed his life forever.  
 
Marcus was a rear-seat passenger in a friend's Ford Escort when the car careered off the A390 road near Liskeard, rolling several times and killing the driver, Jonathan Stephens.  
 
Mr Christopher Wilson-Smith QC, Marcus' counsel at London's High Court, described how Marcus' personality had been changed forever as a result of his head injuries, saying:  
 
"If you speak to him, he is a delightful and charming young man, provided it is not one of those days when he is not in control of his emotions. He's definitely going to need support; the problem is getting him to accept it".  
 
Marcus, a former builder and landscape gardener, was in intensive care for seven days in Derriford Hospital after the crash, suffering severe head injuries, internal injuries and multiple broken bones. According to his counsel, his personality has undergone a dramatic change and he also has a poor memory.  
 
Judge Mrs Justice Dobbs agreed that Marcus "certainly isn't the same person he was before the accident."  
 
Marcus was left heavily dependent on his mother, Jean Julian, for care and it was through her that he sued the estate and motor insurers of Jonathan Stephens, the driver who died. Marcus now has a steady girlfriend to help support him.  
 
Jonathan Stephens' insurance company agreed to the final settlement, which has been kept confidential but which could total millions of pounds. This money will be needed to pay for Marcus' lifelong care and support.  
 
Mrs Justice Dobbs paid tribute to Marcus' mother and girlfriend, and commented that the compensation "will allow a future to be mapped out for him."