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4th March 2002

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Brave Steve wins his battle for a car  

DRIVING AMBITION: Steve soon hopes to be back behind the wheel

A RACE track accident victim who was told he wasn't disabled enough to get an adapted car, even though he had lost a leg, is celebrating and looking forward to driving again after winning his appeal.  

As reported in the Daily Echo, Steve Tarrant, 41, was injured in July 2000 when, as a volunteer marshal at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, he and a colleague were struck by a crashing Formula One Lotus. Both the driver of the car and the other marshal died. Steve spent five months in hospital, lost his right leg above the knee and suffered a badly-broken left leg, stomach and head wounds.  

In July 2001 the Department of Work and Pensions only awarded his Disability Living Allowance for two years, meaning he could not qualify for a hand-controlled Motability vehicle as the lease on one lasted for three years. Now, after considering Steve's appeal with letters from his doctors and surgeons, the DWP has reversed its decision that Steve's condition might improve in two years and awarded the benefit for four years.  

Steve, of Sea View Road, Upton, said: "After the four years are up I will have to appeal again but now I can apply to Motability in London and a £38 allowance will be paid to the car manufacturer monthly by the DWP for the lease. I have to have the allowance for three years or longer so that a legal lease can be drawn up and now I am hoping I can get a Ford Focus car. I will have to have a hand control for the accelerator, which will take some getting used to, and automatic transmission, but the people at Thruxton race track have offered me the use of the paddock area there to practice. It is a wonderful feeling that I have got Motability now. It has been a long struggle but it is worth it as I will get back some independence and take my wife out in a car.  

"I have an artificial limb but at the moment I can't walk further than about 10 yards and even when I have recovered as much as I might, it will not be practical to walk more than about 500 yards."

A DWP spokesman said the award was not open-ended and individual cases were decided on their own merit but because of the appeal the decision had been changed.