Injured motorist suing widow of crash driver

Graham Nicholson, 55, suffered a host of injuries when his seven-and-a-half ton lorry collided with a van being driven by builder Anthony Marfleet.

Following the crash, which happened in Powdermill Lane in Battle, Mr Marfleet was airlifted to hospital, but later died from multiple injuries.

At an inquest into his death, East Sussex coroner Alan Craze recorded a verdict of accidental death and said he believed Mr Marfleet, of Park Lane in Bexhill, had probably suffered an epileptic fit at the wheel.

Now though, Mr Nicholson, of Mountbatten Close, is suing Mr Marfleet's widow Zoe and his insurers, the Co-operative Insurance Socity.

He claims Mr Marfleet's Toyota van was on the wrong side of the road and appeared to be trying to overtake a pair of vehicles.

Mr Nicholson claims he had no chance of avoiding the collision, which left him nursing a badly broken right thigh, an injured spine, neck, knees, right heel and big toe, as well as cuts and bruises.

And since the 2007 crash, Mr Nicholson says he also later developed post traumatic stress disorder, and depression.

Mr Nicholson has branded Mr Marfleet negligent, arguing he drove on the wrong side of the road, overtook when it was unsafe, failed to heed the lorry's presence, and failed to control his van properly.

A legal writ was issued this week by Stephen Wilmot of solicitors Allen Ticehurst.