Driver injured in head-on crash wins compensation award

A motorist who suffered serious injuries when an ambulance veered into the path of his car has won £430,000 damages.

James Greenaway, 32, was driving his younger brother, Alex, 21, and three friends home from a night out when their car was hit by an ambulance in May 2003.

He lost a kidney and suffered other serious injuries, including a fractured skull, pelvis, hip, elbow and several broken ribs in the accident near Wadebridge, Cornwall.

His brother and friend, David Bellringer, 22, died in the crash.

At a hearing at Exeter County Court, Mr Greenaway successfully sued Westcountry Ambulance Service Trust for damages.

The court was told that, despite retraining as a lorry driver, Mr Greenaway was unlikely to work again as he is unable to sit down in a lorry cab for any length of time because of his injuries.

He is still traumatised by the accident and also has trouble sleeping.

The ambulance service admitted liability and Judge David Tyzack awarded Mr Greenaway £429, 737 compensation.

He said: "The claimant is faced with the daunting and daily challenge of enduring serious physical scars, ongoing debilitating pain and discomfort and sleep deprivation.

"This is all against the background of two tragic deaths, one his own younger brother.

"Furthermore, I find him to be someone who enjoyed work before this accident but is now forced to accept he is never going to do that type of work again.

"I find this only adds to his low mood and depression. The combination of all this means it is very unlikely he will ever fully recover from this tragedy."

The court heard that ambulance driver Graham Dudman, 64, was eight hours into his second consecutive night shift when he crashed into the Ford Fiesta with five young people on board.

He was not answering an emergency call, but could not explain why his vehicle had veered across onto the wrong side of the road.

Mr Dudman, who had 27 years of experience driving ambulances, was fined £1,000 and banned from driving for a year after being convicted of careless driving at an earlier hearing.

After the hearing, Mr Greenaway, who had drunk only water on the night out prior to the crash, said: "The accident changed me completely. It's just a mess that no one wants to go through."