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Norfolk man's career in rock industry ended when road accident cost him his leg |
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20 January 2008 |
A young Norfolk man, whose career as a lighting designer in the rock music industry was cut short after losing his leg in a road accident, takes his case against the car driver to court in London tomorrow (21 January).
A young Norfolk man, whose career as a lighting designer in the rock music industry was cut short after losing his leg in a road accident, takes his case against the car driver to court in London tomorrow (21 January).
In October 2003 Graham Leesmith, now 28, was driving his motorcycle along the A246 in Leatherhead, Surrey. A car driven by Gordon Evans emerged from a side road on his left and in the subsequent accident Mr Leesmith suffered severe damage to his left leg.
Attempts to save his leg failed and two weeks following the accident he underwent an amputation at the knee, thus ending his career in the rock industry.
Then in February 2004 when the wound would not heal, doctors had no other option but to carry out further surgery, further complicating his rehabilitation. Mr Evans and his insurers have admitted liability for the accident, but they dispute the amount of damages which should be awarded to Mr Leesmith.
The trial which begins at the Royal Courts of Justice tomorrow is to settle this dispute over the level of damages, and is expected to last for at least a week.
When younger, Mr Leesmith had begun his career working in the theatre on the pier at Great Yarmouth, where his family lived at the time.
Mr Leesmith's legal case is being managed by Ruth Booy, a partner and personal injury specialist with lawyers Kester Cunningham John.
'The tragedy is of course that Graham's career was cut short just at the moment when he felt he might be about to achieve what had been his lifelong ambition,' she explains.
'But after losing his leg it was clear that his hopes would be dashed, since the work would have included a significant amount of physical activity as well as erecting and climbing scaffolding.
'There is an enormous discrepancy between our estimate of what Graham could have expected to earn and what the defendants are prepared to pay for ending his career, and the length of the trial reflects this difference.'
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