A father of three was left with life-changing brain and facial injuries after a 5kg steel plate flew off a lorry and crashed through his windscreen while he was driving home.
Anthony Moore, 51, from Heath Hayes, Staffordshire, was only minutes from his home when the solid steel plate struck his Ford Ranger in September 2023.
The impact hit Anthony in the head, while his vehicle then became trapped underneath the same lorry and was dragged for almost half a mile before the truck driver stopped.
Anthony suffered a traumatic brain injury with bleeding on the brain, multiple skull and facial fractures, a broken eye socket and cheekbone, a fractured right hand and serious injuries to his mouth.
His wife, Rachel, 45, said she barely recognised him after the crash, describing his face as severely swollen and covered in bruising. She said the swelling was so extreme that he appeared to look like Homer Simpson.
Anthony spent two weeks in hospital and later developed severe paranoid delusions linked to his brain injury, at one point believing hospital staff were trying to kill him.
The accident also brought major changes to his family life. Before the crash, Anthony worked as a senior manager for an events specialist and was actively involved in raising his three children, aged nine, 15 and 21.
He said his life had been completely transformed since the incident, with the injuries costing him his career, independence and health. His wife was also forced to leave her job to become his full-time carer.
Anthony criticised the punishment given to the lorry driver, who was prosecuted for driving with an unsecured load but received only a £100 fine and three penalty points. His vocational driving licence was also suspended for four weeks by the Traffic Commissioner.
“I don’t want sympathy. I want accountability,” Anthony said, stressing that properly securing a load could mean the difference between someone reaching home safely and spending the rest of their life disabled.
With specialist rehabilitation support limited, Anthony’s family sought legal assistance and secured funding for intensive neurorehabilitation, psychological treatment, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and specialist care.
A legal claim was subsequently brought against Joseph Ash Galvanizing, a subsidiary of Hill & Smith PLC, the company linked to the lorry. The family eventually secured a substantial six-figure settlement, which will help fund Anthony’s long-term rehabilitation, medical treatment and care.
Express Solicitors catastrophic injury lawyer Nina Ramsden described Anthony’s injuries as life-changing and said the settlement would provide continued access to specialist support while helping secure the family’s financial future.
Hill & Smith said the incident was regrettable and confirmed that a settlement had been reached, acknowledging the seriousness of Anthony’s injuries. The company added that health and safety remained a priority and that it would continue reviewing and strengthening its procedures.
Staffordshire Police said the driver had received penalty points and a fine, while the Health and Safety Executive took no further action because the incident occurred on a public road rather than business premises.
