Largest personal injury payment in North East

Irwin Mitchell has secured the largest personal injury payout in the North East's history for a young Newcastle man left severely disabled in a car crash.

David Dei-Ceci was 17 and on his way to a camping trip in Kielder Forest, Northumberland, on October 12, 2002 when the driver of the car he was in lost control and crashed into a field.

Mr Dei-Ceci, now 23, was thrown from the vehicle and sustained serious brain injuries, leaving him requiring round-the-clock, live-in care for the rest of his life.

A settlement of £6.3m to cover the cost of his future care needs was today approved by the High Court in London. The claim was made against the insurers of the driver of the car, Samantha Armstrong.

John Davis, Partner and neurotrauma specialist at Irwin Mitchell in Newcastle, said the huge payout reflected Mr Cei-Ceci's condition.

He said: "This is a huge payout and is the largest ever to be awarded in the north east, but it has been carefully calculated to meet David Dei-Ceci's demanding care needs, now and for the rest of his life.

"David defied the odds - and medical opinion - to survive the crash but has been left with terrible injuries and will never be able to work again. Irwin Mitchell has worked hard to ensure the settlement reflected this.

"The Dei-Ceci family will not be sitting on a pot of gold - the payout will be held and managed by the court of protection and can only be used to help provide care and comfort for David.

"We are delighted to have been able to secure such a settlement for David, whose life has been altered indescribably by what happened."