A brain surgeon who sued McLaren for £14m after a snowmobile crash in Lapland has had his claim dismissed after a judge ruled he caused the accident himself. Andrew Cannestra, 54, a neurosurgeon specialising in spinal surgery, suffered a brain haemorrhage and severe leg injuries when his skidoo left a forest track and struck a tree in February 2020.
Mr Cannestra was on a £23,000 luxury break booked through the Pure McLaren Arctic Experience with his then partner, Kaitlin Mealor. He later sued McLaren Automotive Events Ltd, claiming the impact on his future earnings alone exceeded £14m. The medic, who earned around £1.8m per year, has been forced to give up brain surgery due to lasting problems with word-finding, comprehension, memory and fatigue, as well as a worsened hand tremor.
McLaren denied liability, arguing that guides had provided a careful briefing before the trip. His own lawyers said both riders were “absolute novices” and that the lead guide rode at excessive speed. But McLaren’s barrister, Matthew Chapman KC, said Mr Cannestra had appeared a competent rider and seemed eager for his vehicle to be switched to a faster travel mode.
Dismissing the claim, Mr Justice Richie said Mr Cannestra had “wanted more speed” and caused the crash when he “accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes”. The judge noted that the surgeon had sent post-accident texts to McLaren staff saying: “No worries … sh*t happens … do I owe you guys a snowmobile?” and thanking them for their help “thru my little self destructive snowmobile behaviour”.
In his evidence, Mr Cannestra insisted these messages did not amount to an admission of fault and rejected being described as an “adrenaline junkie” — a term used by his then partner. He conceded he was a passionate classic car fan who had owned up to 33 vehicles, but said he never raced them. The judge concluded that the briefing was adequate and that Mr Cannestra, who initially apologised and offered to pay for the damaged snowmobile, was responsible for his own injuries.
