Shropshire teacher in £1.9m crash payout

A FORMER TEACHER from Shropshire has received £1.9 million in compensation after suffering devastating head injuries in a coach crash while returning from a French skiing holiday.

Gary Bishop saw his teaching career cut short after sustaining major head wounds in the accident in January, 2007.

Mr Bishop, from the Telford area, was among a party of more than 40 pupils, parents and staff who were involved in the crash in the French Alps in which the coach they were travelling in skidded on ice.

The father-of-two organised skiing trips for pupils at Shrewsbury's Kingsland Grange School, now known as Shrewsbury High Prep School, where he was working as the head of IT.

Support

The 55-year-old, known as Max, was in London's High Court yesterday as his barrister, Mr Bernard Doherty, asked Mr Justice Eady to approve the £1.9 million settlement.

Mr Bishop today said: "I just want to say I am very grateful for all of the support and hard work put in by my solicitors, Neil Lorimer and Gayle Kinsey from Lanyon Bowdler."

"I also want to thank all of my family and friends for all their help and support.

"Also, the staff at the school where I was teaching at the time of the accident have helped enormously."

The sum was claimed against the coach driver, David Levy, his employers, La Societe Autocars Bonnaffoux Bremond, and insurers Generalli Assurance.

Neil Lorimer, catastrophic injury specialist solicitor at Lanyon Bowdler, said: "This is a substantial award but it has been carefully calculated to meet his extensive needs now, and for the rest of his life.

"The £1.9 million fund will be held and managed by the Court of Protection and will be used to meet those needs. The award includes compensation for the fact that he has lost his teaching career and has had to medically retire."

Parent Juliet Hearne, from Shrewsbury, who was also on board the coach, said: "We were all very lucky, there was just a barrier which stopped us from falling thousands of feet."

By Jason Lavan