Greening-Steer claims his injuries have stopped him working and left him sometimes needing a mobility scooter and struggling with laces and buttons. But Charles Woodhouse KC, representing driver Derek Ainge and his insurers, told the High Court that secretly shot surveillance footage shows Greening-Steer walking normally. Woodhouse argued that Greening-Steer is a 'malingerer' and 'deliberately lying' about his symptoms to inflate his claim.
Neurosurgeons who examined Greening-Steer and assessed the surveillance video concluded it established exaggeration of his symptoms, according to Woodhouse. One medic stated that conscious exaggeration is clearly depicted and expressed a strong view that he is malingering to enhance the value of his claim. The court heard that the accident occurred in June 2019, leaving Greening-Steer with a fractured spine and what was described as a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.
His legal team is seeking around £5 million in damages, covering loss of earnings, care costs, and other expenses. However, the defence maintains that the claim is vastly inflated. Woodhouse acknowledged the seriousness of the accident and that Greening-Steer likely suffers some ongoing symptoms.
He said the defence accepts the seriousness of his injuries and that the claimant is likely to suffer some, even relatively significant, ongoing symptoms as a result. However, the defence argues Greening-Steer's claim is worth only £112,022, not £5 million. Woodhouse added that liability is admitted, but the claimant has deliberately lied about and exaggerated the extent of his ongoing symptoms and their impact on him to deliberately inflate the value of his claim.
He said his dishonesty has been present from the start of and throughout his claim. The trial continues.