The British Columbia Supreme Court has awarded $1 million to a man who suffered multiple injuries when his car was damaged in a crash in Surrey in January 2019.

In a Nov. 8 ruling, Judge Lisa Hamilton said Andrew Matwijec was driving his Mazda 3 north on 132nd Street when it was struck by Bradley Edward Goodridge’s Toyota Yaris.

Although Matwijec’s vehicle was written off, the judge said, he suffered soft tissue injuries to his neck and back, left and right shoulder injuries, headaches and psychological injuries as a result of the ‘accident.

“He was a laborer and returned to modified duties from May 2019 to June 2021, but was unable to continue working,” Hamilton said. “(He) has withdrawn from most physical and social activities and spends a lot of time in his room. He continues to experience daily pain, particularly in his shoulders, low mood and significant difficulty sleeping.

She said Goodridge admitted responsibility and Matwijec was injured.

Matwijec said the accident “came out of nowhere.”

“His vehicle spun on impact. The video footage of the accident shown during the trial was consistent with (his) description,” the judge said.

Upon impact, Matwijec’s body was shaken sideways “like a ping-pong ball,” the judge wrote. When his body was jerked to the right, his right shoulder collided with the passenger. When he struck to the left, his left shoulder struck the side of his vehicle.

Witnesses testified that his mood had gone from “vibrant and fun before the accident.”

“The accident has radically changed his personality and mood and he is now difficult to be around,” the judge said.

Broken down, the reward of $1,004,685.25 is as follows:

• non-pecuniary damages of $235,000;

• previous loss of earning capacity of $215,000 (gross);

• future loss of earning capacity of $500,000 (gross);

• previous loss of household maintenance capacity of $13,200;

• future loss of housekeeping capacity of $39,242; And,

• cost of future care of $2,243.25.