Latvian worker from Wisbech paralysed in triple fatality on the A141 set to issue legal proceedings

A LATVIAN worker from Wisbech who was paralysed in an accident which left three colleagues dead, is suing the driver of the other vehicle and the company who employed him.

Jevgenijs Samohins was the driver of a Toyota MPV people carrier involved in the fatal accident on the A141 near Chatteris in July 2008.

London law firm Penningtons has issued proceedings on behalf of Mr Samohins against the driver of a Scania skip lorry involved, Dennis Ellingham, an employee of Carcarc Environmental Services Ltd, a waste management company based in Chelmsford.

Philippa Luscombe, a partner in the personal injury team, said: "Mr Samohins' evidence is that he took emergency evasive action to avoid the HGV but a head on collision ensued. Mr Ellingham was uninjured but Mr Samohins and his passengers sustained very severe injuries, some of which were fatal.

"Mr Samohins has been left with a significant degree of paralysis as a result of his spinal cord injury."

The law firm says that Mr Ellingham and Carcarc, through their insurers, Chaucer Insurance, have refused to accept liability.

"Mr Samohins spent many months in hospital and is now unable to work and dependent on his wife and children to provide nursing care," said Ms Luscombe. .

"Mr Samohins was a fit and active family man who has been left with devastating injuries that affect every aspect of his life.

"Mr Samohins is adamant that Mr Ellingham caused the accident by moving on to his side of the road and that he did everything that he could to avoid an accident."

An inquest ruled that all three Latvians died as a result of an accident. Five of the seven in the Toyota were not wearing seatbelts, including two of the passengers who died.

Many of the Latvians - including Mr Samohins- had only arrived in the UK a few days before the accident.