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Andrew Flintoff, the former captain of the England cricket team, has reached a settlement with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), after suffering “life-altering” injuries in a horror crash during the filming of Top Gear last year. The 45-year-old has reportedly received a payout worth £9 million, based on his deal with BBC Studios, which led to him missing out on two years of earnings.
The accident involving Andrew Flintoff happened on December 13 last year, at the test track of Top Gear at the Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey, which led to him receiving medical care there, before being transported to the hospital for further treatment. The legal team of the former English all-rounder stated that he is still recovering from “life-altering” injuries.
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The filming of the Top Gear series was suspended pending a review of the accident, wherein the BBC commissioned two investigations, for which the 45-year-old was interviewed twice too. While the first investigation cleared BBC of negligence after the Health and Safety Executive decided that it didn’t meet the threshold for further proceedings, the second investigation is thought to be ongoing, with the results not expected to be published.
Notably, after the horror crash, BBC apologised to Andrew Flintoff in March of this year over his injuries. Then, he made his first appearance in public after the accident, this September, with visible scars on his face and a taped nose, overseeing the fielding drills of the England cricket team at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, before an ODI against New Zealand.
The spokesperson of the BBC Studios made the statement about reaching a settlement with Andrew Flintoff recently. It read, “BBC Studios has reached an agreement with Freddie that we believe supports his continued rehabilitation, return to work, and future plans. We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery.”
