Award for Family of Girl Injured in Crash

The family of a girl who sustained horrific injuries in a car crash as a baby has been awarded a multi-million pound settlement in compensation.

Cerys Edwards was just 11 months old when she was injured in an accident caused by Antonio Singh Boparan. Mr Boparan was attempting to overtake another vehicle and was travelling at 72 mph in a 30 mph zone when he lost control of his car.

The accident left Cerys with serious brain damage and she requires 24-hour care. At first, her care needs meant that she had to live in a rehabilitation centre some 150 miles from her family’s home. However, interim payments made to her family have enabled them to buy a house specially adapted for Cerys.

A final settlement has now been agreed with Mr Boparan’s insurers and approved by the High Court. This comprises a lump sum of £5 million plus annual payments of £450,000 for the rest of Cerys’s life.

Says Graham Heywood, road traffic accident specialist at DFA Law, “Nothing can adequately compensate for the loss of someone’s health and normal way of life. However, a financial settlement can help the victim of an accident and their family adjust to the changes in circumstances knowing that essential care needs can be met and paid for now and in the future.”

Mr Boparan was convicted of dangerous driving and sentenced to 21 months in prison. He was released after six months under curfew conditions, however. He was also banned from driving for five years.

The current maximum prison sentence for dangerous driving is two years. However, under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill currently before Parliament, a new crime of causing serious injury by dangerous driving will be introduced, which will carry a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.