A High Court judge has branded an engineer seeking £5 million in compensation for injuries from a motorbike crash an 'unembarrassed liar' after finding he deliberately exaggerated his symptoms. Grant Greening-Steer, 51, claimed he needed a mobility scooter and struggled with everyday tasks like tying shoelaces following the 2019 accident in New Milton, Hampshire.
Mr Greening-Steer fractured his spine and suffered a traumatic brain injury when a car pulled out in front of his Yamaha motorbike. He submitted a damages bill totalling £4,924,418, including £160,000 for a dog walker. However, lawyers for the other driver argued that secretly recorded surveillance footage proved he was a 'malingerer' who was 'deliberately lying' about his condition.
Charles Woodhouse KC, representing motorist Derek Ainge and his insurers, acknowledged the severity of the initial injuries but said the claimant had since made a 'reasonable functional recovery'. Neurosurgeons who reviewed the surveillance video concluded it showed 'conscious exaggeration' and that Mr Greening-Steer was 'malingering to enhance the value of his claim'.
The defence argued the claim was worth only £112,022 and should be struck out entirely due to the alleged lies. Mr Woodhouse said: 'His dishonesty has been present from the start of and throughout his claim.' The judge agreed, describing Mr Greening-Steer as an 'unembarrassed liar' and dismissing the claim.
