A 'malingering' biker who claimed he needs a mobility scooter and cannot tie his shoelaces after crashing his motorbike had his £5million claim thrown out by a judge who called him an 'unembarrassed liar.'

Grant Greening-Steer, 51, from New Milton, Hampshire, sued a driver and his insurer for £5million in compensation after a car pulled out in front of his Yamaha motorbike in June 2019.

Mr Greening-Steer suffered a fractured spine and a traumatic brain injury in the crash which he claimed stopped him working, left him needing a mobility scooter and struggling with his laces and buttons.

But the driver and insurer's lawyers unveiled surveillance footage which they said showed Mr Greening-Steer was walking normally and capable of working, proving he is a 'malingerer' and deliberately lying about his claims.

At the High Court on May 22, Mr Justice Ritchie dismissed Mr Greening-Steer's claim after finding he was a 'regular, detailed, unembarrassed liar, with the aim of gaining higher damages than he is honestly entitled to.'

After seeing the claimant was able to carry out day-to-day tasks, Justice Ritchie said Mr Greening-Steer's claim was worth only £378,420, a fraction of the £5million compensation claim.

However, because he lied and was dishonest about his disabilities, the claim was thrown out and Mr Greening-Steer did not receive a penny.

In his case, Mr Greening-Steer complained that the crash caused a range of disabilities including problems standing which meant he required both a standard and off-road mobility scooter to get around. 

He recounted struggling to get in and out of the bath, 'a limited walking range' and a 'debilitating fatigue.' He also 'struggles with buttons and laces'.

The effects of his injuries made running his refrigerated trailer business impossible and he claimed it is unlikely he will return to work.

Mr Greening-Steer claimed damages including £1.8million for lifetime care and assistance, £116,176 for holidays and £160,655 to pay someone to walk his dog for an hour every day.

He submitted a damages bill totalling £4,924,418. 

Representing the motorist and his insurers, Charles Woodhouse KC accepted the severity of the crash but said the surveillance footage proved Mr Greening-Steer had 'made a reasonable functional recovery' and exaggerated his injuries.

The footage showed in court saw Mr Greening-Steer driving to a petrol station, filling up his Aston Martin and walking to and from the vehicle normally. 

Despite claiming he struggled driving long distances, he got back into the two-seater car and travelled 55 miles before investigators lost sight of him.

Due to his lies, the defence KC argued the total compensation claim should be thrown out.

He said: 'It is submitted that the surveillance evidence unequivocally contradicts Mr Greening-Steer’s account of his disability and its impact on his day-to-day activities and ability to work.'

Medical records highlighted in court suggested he made a 'reasonable recovery' a year after the crash and was able to return to work and operate a forklift truck.

Mr Greening-Steer accepted telling a medic in 2024 'he couldn’t go out when it was windy for fear of being blown over'. 

He also admitted that he told a doctor he couldn't walk more than 100 metres without being exhausted and feeling a burning pain in his leg. 

'If I sit down for a long period of time, my left foot goes stiff and if I stand for a long time my leg will spasm,' Mr Greening-Steer said.

'I can walk a bit further now, maybe 150 metres.'

Giving his judgement on May 22, Mr Justice Ritchie said the footage and the claimant's behaviour in the witness box led him to conclude that he was a 'malingerer.'

He said: 'Having compared his evidence to the documents and the medical experts’ reports I conclude that the claimant has been a regular, detailed, unembarrassed liar, with the aim of gaining higher damages than he is honestly entitled to.'

Mr Justice Ritchie said there were 15 'areas of untruth' which included his mobility, his pain and his ability to work.  

'I consider that the claimant knew very well from mid-2021 that he had recovered well,' he continued.

'He put on a disabled presentation which he knew to be worse than his actual physical disabilities and he claimed cognitive dysfunction at a grossly exaggerated level.' 

The judge said Mr Greening-Steer was able-bodied enough to 'walk his dogs, mend and build kit cars, bend and carry moderate weights and drive manual shift vans and powerful sports cars.'

If it was not for his dishonesty, the claimant would have been entitled to £378,420 in damages but due to his blatant lies, he will receive nothing. 

He concluded: 'That conduct has deprived him of a substantial sum in damages to which he would otherwise have been entitled.