A former media executive who was left brain damaged after a crash has been awarded a £1.67million payout after an insurance firm claimed her ‘glossy’ Instagram posts proved she was lying about her injuries.
Natasha Palmer (34), suffered brain injuries when a drunk driver crashed into her Renault Clio while driving at high speeds on the M25.
Due to migraines that left her paralysed and unemployed, bad memory, concentration and light sensitivity, and dizziness she said to doctors made it difficult for her to walk like she was drunk, she could no longer work and was permanently disabled.
But after she sued the other driver, Seferif Mantas, who was convicted of drink-driving, for damages of more than £2million, his insurance company accused her of ‘fundamental dishonesty’ and exaggerating her problems.
Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Ltd lawyers submitted over 700,000 pages of social media posts at the High Court. They claimed that she was lying about the consequences of the crash.
Ms. Palmer uploaded Instagram pictures showing her on holidays to India skiing and attending music events. She also completed sporting challenges such as a Bear Grylls obstacle course of 10km.
However, she received a huge compensation payout from Judge Anthony Metzer.
‘Social media tends to paint a glossy picture of the poster’s life,’ he said, handing her £1,679,406 in damages, £1.2million of which came from loss of earnings as the judge noted she was on course to earn £75,000 a year had it not been for the crash.
Natasha Palmer has been awarded £1.67million in damages after she was left with a brain injury following a crash involving a drink-driver on the M25 in 2014
The court learned that Ms. Palmer suffered injuries to her neck and chest in the 2014 crash. Her car, which was a 18th birthday present, was also damaged.
She has been unemployed since November 2017, Mr Metzer said, and has been receiving employment support allowance since January 2018.
Seferif Mantsas was later found guilty of drinking-driving.
Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Ltd lawyers admitted liability, but they hotly denied the extent of injuries Ms Palmer claimed. They also accused Palmer of “fundamental dishonesty”, exaggerating her case.
Although she claimed damages of more than £2million for injuries which she said wrecked her career, defence lawyers said her case was worth just £5,407.
One-time skier and fitness enthusiast, Ms. Palmer was accused of lying about how the accident affected her life. Her Instagram photos proved it.
Charles Woodhouse (the insurer’s lawyer) claimed that her posts revealed Ms. Palmer took part in’much more substantial physical exercise than she acknowledges in her witness statements and to any of her medical experts’.
‘Ms Palmer’s social media posts also show her attending musical and other events with large numbers of people and noise,’ he added.
Also, he said that she’d been travelling to India for four months following the crash. She had also taken a vacation skiing in the Rockies during February 2016!
“It’s undoubtedly evident that some images depicted by the claimant on her social media require an explanation because they seem to contradict the claims made earlier in witness statements, and also in interviews with numerous legal specialists.
However, he said: “It is important to be cautious when deciding how much trust to place upon these social media posts. Social media tends paint a glamorous picture of the posters’ lives.
“The claimant denied repeatedly that she intended to deceive anyone.
She stated that the posts on social media, including holiday pictures, did not show a full picture. Instead, she would try to give a positive spin to what she was doing in order to gain more likes.
“She said that her posts on social media were a snap of the exciting and positive side of her life. Not the daily struggles.
“It seems to be uncontentious evidence, that claimants, as well as other people, tend to post positive messages and photos.
He added that it was important for claimant’s identity and to be recognized by friends as normal people.
He discovered that her sport activity was still being affected despite what she had posted.
Metzer stated that she was competitive from childhood, had served as a captain in sports and skied. She had also been running for the marathon before the accident.
Ms Palmer sued the other driver, Seferif Mantas, who was convicted of drink-driving, for damages of more than £2million, but his insurance company accused her of ‘fundamental dishonesty’ and exaggerating her problems by claiming her Instagram posts showing holidays proved she was lying
She posted about the sport activity that she did afterward, calling it’relaxing” in comparison. Mr Metzer pointed out that she had to complete Bear Grylls’ event at a gentle jog for three hours, 40 minutes, and she missed several obstacles.
He said that the claimant was an honest witness, who is helpful, respectful, and dignified in her own case.
I believe the significant number of symptoms that the claimant has now exhibited arose out of the accident. They were caused or contributed in large part by the accident.
He concluded that Ms Palmer, who formerly worked in media and marketing for the Ministry of Sound nightclub and the Hippodrome Casino, would have progressed in her career to become a chief marketing officer on a £75,000-a-year salary had it not been for the accident.
He handed her £1.2million for future loss of earnings as part of her £1.67million payout.