A man who was attempting to help another motorist but who was left almost crippled after being run over by a lorry is to receive a substantial sum in damages, it has been ruled.

Paul Lloyd, 40, was pushing a car with a blown out tyre to the side of the road in Maidenhead in July 2007 when a juggernaut ran over his right foot, the Slough Observer reports.

He has since undergone 30 operations, some of which involved removing some of his toes, and may have to have his foot amputated.

Mr Lloyd, who was a former head coach at Slough and Eton Dolphin Swimming Club, said the incident has severely affected his quality of life.

"Before I could teach a much wider range of children, therefore my earning capacity has been diminished by probably 80 per cent," he remarked.

At the high court this week, Judge Jeremy McMullen QC ruled Steve Woolston, the driver of the lorry, to be 80 per cent responsible for Mr Lloyd’s injuries and has guaranteed the victim compensation of at least six figures.

According to the Department for Transport, there were 27,774 seriously injured casualties on Britain’s roads in 2007.