£5.8m for student left severely disabled after M1 smart motorway collision
Harvinder Kaur and Jill Greenfield secured £5.8 million on behalf of a young man who suffered a severe head injury in a collision with a lorry while travelling as a passenger on the M1 smart motorway.
Rohan* was a first-year student travelling with friends back to university following a sporting tournament when a heavy goods lorry with a trailer struck the car, which was stationary in the inside lane of the motorway.
The collision caused catastrophic injuries, including the death of one student and severe head injuries to Rohan and three others.
Rohan was rushed to Addenbrooke's Hospital by ambulance, where doctors immediately took him into surgery. He underwent a right-sided craniotomy and was placed on a ventilator. Following the operation, he was admitted to the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit (NCCU) for intensive monitoring and was later moved to the Neurological Ward to continue his recovery.
Nearly a month later, Rohan was transferred to the Wellington Hospital to begin the next phase of his treatment. Since then, he has been undergoing rehabilitation. Despite these efforts, he continues to live with very serious disabilities.
Now in his mid-20s, Rohan lives with a range of complex and challenging impairments. He experiences left-sided vision loss in both eyes, though his central vision remains intact, along with a hearing deficit in his left ear. He suffers from cognitive impairments and noticeable changes in his behaviour, and he has persistent sleep disturbances and fatigue.
His recovery has been further complicated by psychological factors, which have negatively impacted his overall progress. He also remains at risk of developing epilepsy. Sadly, he will never be capable of achieving his original professional ambition of working as a forensic consultant in the IT industry.
The lorry driver was arrested and later convicted of one count of causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Rohan's family instructed Fieldfisher shortly after the accident, and proceedings were issued against the driver and his insurer. During the claim, Harvinder and the team secured significant interim payments to fund Rohan's care at the Wellington Hospital and his rehabilitation in the community.
The parties met at a round table meeting on 22 April 2025 and agreed a settlement of the claim, subject to the approval of the Court, for a lump sum of £5,876,000. These funds will enable Rohan to live with the dignity, support, and specialist care he will need for the rest of his life, providing stability for both him and his family as they continue to navigate the long-term impact of his injuries.
* name changed for anonymity
Contact us
For further information about head injury claims and road traffic accident claims, please call Harvinder Kaur on 0330 460 6762 or email harvinder.kaur@fieldfisher.com or please call Jill Greenfield on 03304606778 or email jill.greenfield@fieldfisher.com.
Alternatively
- You can speak to our personal injury solicitors on freephone 0800 358 3848
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