In May 2001 Bijan Fouladger was riding his motorbike in the Blackfriar’s area of London when he collided with a van which had been attempting to perform a U-turn in the underpass up ahead of him.

Fouladger, the heir to a successful business empire, suffered extremely serious injuries to his head which, although not fatal, were debilitating enough to leave him with reduced mental capacities that affected his ability to concentrate, control his temper or process different kinds of information.

Prior to the crash, he had been tipped to follow his Iranian parents into London Joggers Ltd – the thriving sportswear retailer which they had founded. However, the combination of brain damage and emotional trauma which Fouladger suffered as a result of the accident not only prevented him from achieving this but so massively reduced his confidence that he became a shadow of his former self.

The 30th June of this year marks the end of an eight-year court battle to give Fouladger the compensation he deserves for an accident which has so massively affected his life. The insurers of Southover Food Company, who employed the van driver at fault, have agreed to a settlement of £1 million to compensate Mr Fouladger’s for his loss. Mr Fouladger said he was “very pleased” with the outcome and that he was looking forward to getting on with his life.