Shock at compensation for death crash mother

Sasha Roberts, 40, from The Course, Lewes, died on September 7 2006, when a lorry hit her car on the hard shoulder of the M2.

Her son Lio Spinelli was also in car and suffered life-threatening injuries and brain damage.

The lorry driver was later jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.

Lio has made a miraculous recovery after extensive and arduous medical treatment. The boy and his dad Martin Spinelli are rebuilding their lives together.

But Mr Spinelli recently received the shocking news that they could receive just 15,000 compensation for Sasha's tragic death.

He told the Express: 'The somewhat astonishing news, is that despite all of the anguish and the tears we have endured this past year-and-a-half our situation probably does not fall within the very limited definition of "pain and suffering" established by British law.

'So a claim for that seems unlikely.

'More stunning even than this is that the maximum claim for the loss of a mother (for the entire life of the child) and the maximum claim for the loss of a spouse, have been capped by British law at 5,000 and 10,000 respectively.

'Being an American myself, I'm particularly amazed, the American system would err on the other side because settlements are enormous, but it's shocking that here the life of a wife is only 10,000 and the life of a mother only 5,000.'

Mr Spinelli has already spent around 100,000 on Lio's medical treatment and physiotherapy and is hopeful the money will eventually be repaid by the lorry driver's insurance company.

The final figure could be in excess of 1 million and will be dependent on the extent of Lio's recovery.

But the insurance pay-out could take years and only a small portion of the total will be paid in the short term.

On a more positive note Lio's ongoing treatment is going well and he is having a fantastic time at Iford and Kingston School.

Mr Spinelli said: 'He's getting on really well at school.

'He is happy and has got loads of friends, sometimes he gets in trouble trying to impress the girls but I think that's a problem we've all suffered from!'