20th October 2009

 

A police constable who suffered very severe injuries after the police vehicle he was travelling in collided with a tree has received a £1 million payout. 

 

Nicolas Fletcher of Mountsorrel near Loughborough was working as a probationary constable for the Surrey Police when the unmarked car he was a passenger in crashed into a tree near Farnham in March 2003. Fletcher suffered serious injuries including brain damage, a collapsed lung and fractures to many of his bones. 

 

The Chief Constable at the Surrey police admitted liability for the accident and agreed to settle the claim. Fletcher was 32 at the time and had a very promising career ahead of him in the force, and although he tried to return to work a year after the accident was unable to continue in the role. Fletcher received a lump sum of £800,000 to compensate for the severity of his injuries, and will also receive £25,000 a year, tax free for as long as he lives to cover ongoing treatment and medical costs. 

 

The accident left Fletcher severely traumatised and greatly affected the overall quality of his life.