Burgess Hill man launches High Court claim over M20 horror crash

Joseph Gant was a front seat passenger in a van on the M20, which overturned.

He had to be cut out of the wreckage by firefighters with hydraulic equipment, and flown to the major trauma unit at King’s College Hospital by air ambulance.

Mr Gant, who was 16 at the time of the crash on April 16, 2018, and is now 21, suffered multiple injuries, including severe facial and head injuries, and is now blind in his right eye.

He is suing Paul Earl Ltd, of Albourne Court, Moore House, Henfield Road, Albourne, Hassocks, who employed van driver Toby Sargeant, and insurer Royal & Sun Alliance Ltd, of Chartway, Horsham.

Mr Sargeant was driving the VW Transporter van eastbound along the M20 near Maidstone, between junctions 8 and 9, when the accident happened, according to a writ issued in London’s High Court and just made publicly available.

Mr Gant, of Manor Road, Burgess Hill, needed surgery for his injuries, and now finds that after losing his eye, he has problems with co-ordination, clumsiness, crossing the road and other daily activities, the writ said.

The court papers said his injuries will restrict his future job prospects, and he will be unable to work at height or with moving machinery.

He will probably be limited in how long he can work, and the loss of sight makes it difficult for him to carry out activities like pouring liquids and hammering, the writ said.

It added that Mr Gant may need botox injections to improve his eyes’ alignment, has lost his sense of smell, and has a diminished sense of taste, and may suffer from lack of pituitary hormones after his head injury.

Before the accident, he enjoyed many sports, but has not been able to return to them because of the risk of damaging his remaining eye, the court will hear.

He is also at risk of epileptic seizures, the court papers said, and is seeking provisional damages for this.

The writ said that Mr Gant sometimes thinks of suicide after flashbacks and nightmares, and suffers from panic attacks, headaches and sleeping problems.