London Bridge terror survivor wins £300k compensation for injuries

London Bridge terror attack survivor Peter Lunt wins £300,000 payout for his severe injuries after spending eight months in hospital when fanatics rammed a van into him in the attack

• Peter Lunt, of Spalding, sued the estates of two of the terrorists, Butt and Zaghba
• He was nearly killed when a van driven by two of the terrorists ploughed into him
• Probus Insurance Co provided insurance for the 2.5 tonne hired Renault van
• This was not valid because the terrorists had used the van to injure people 

London Bridge terror attack victim Peter Lunt (right) meets Sir John Hayes

London Bridge terror attack survivor Peter Lunt has won compensation for the severe injuries he suffered during the attack.

He was nearly killed when a van driven by two of the terrorists ploughed into him and his wife Tanya as they walked across the bridge, and spent eight months in hospital recovering from his injuries.

Eight people died and dozens were injured when three Islamic terrorists drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before getting out and stabbing people in Borough Market nearby.

Within minutes, police had shot dead the attackers, ringleader Khuram Butt, 27; Youssef Zaghba, 22; and Rachid Redouane, 30. They had been wearing fake suicide vests.

Peter Lunt, 47, of Long Sutton, Spalding, Lincolnshire, sued the estates of two of the terrorists, Butt and Zaghba, for damages of more than £300,000, as well as insurers Probus Insurance Co, and has now won damages in a confidential settlement. The insurers have been ordered to pay his legal costs.

He also asked for provisional damages, allowing him to return to court for more compensation if his condition worsened and he developed epilepsy or dementia. His risk of developing epilepsy is 17 times higher than the normal population, and he is four times more likely to develop dementia, he says.

Probus Insurance Co provided insurance for the 2.5 tonne Renault van which had been hired that day by Butt in Harold Hill, Havering, but this was not valid because the terrorists had used the van deliberately to injure people.

Mr Lunt suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures in the attack, and suffered a personality change, leading to increased anger, irritability, disinhibition, obsessive tendencies, and lacks insight into the extent of his brain injury, court papers say.

Within minutes, police had shot dead the attackers, ringleader Khuram Butt (pictured), 27; Youssef Zaghba, 22; and Rachid Redouane, 30

Eight people died and dozens were injured when three Islamic terrorists drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before getting out and stabbing people in Borough Market nearby

He has also suffered symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and cognitive impairments, as well as reduced libido and avoidance of intimacy.

His injuries included two fractured vertebrae, left ankle, and right shoulder as well as injuries to his chest and pelvis, multiple facial fractures and cuts, and soft tissue injuries. He is now severely disadvantaged on the open labour market, and is at increased risk of developing epilepy.

The attack on June 3, 2017, started when a van was deliberately driven into pedestrians on the bridge, before it crashed and the three terrorists ran off into Borough Market, with bright pink ceramic knives tied to their wrists.

They had also fake suicide vests tied to their waists, made of water bottles wrapped in grey duct tape.

The three terrorists ran through Borough Market, stabbing people outside pubs and restaurants, while members of the public and off duty police officers tried to stop them. Eight terrifying minutes after the first 999 call, they were shot dead by police who had fired 46 shots.

Because the terrorists used the van to deliberately injure people, it was not covered by insurance, a High Court claim says

In all, 48 people were injured in the attack.

Because the terrorists used the van to deliberately injure people, it was not covered by insurance, a High Court claim says. But Probus said it will meet claims from the families of people killed or those injured in the attack, without those individuals or their families needing to prove negligence, it is alleged.

Probus is acting as agent for the Motor Insurers Bureau, which provides insurance for the victims of uninsured drivers, in some circumstances, and the MIB will pick up the bill for the payments.

Father of two Butt, who lived in Plaistow, was known to police for his extreme views, and he had expressed disgust at the way women dressed. He was a member of the outlawed group al-Muhajiroun and took part in a Channel 4 documentary The Jihadis Next Door, where he argued with police over the unfurling of the notorious Isis black flag in Regent’s Park.

An inquest in 2019 ruled that the three terrorists had been unlawfully killed.

Mr Lunt is represented by solicitor Monica Medd of Thompsons. Kennedys Law are acting for Probus Insurance.

Source: Read Full Article