A former media executive who was left brain damaged after a crash has been awarded a £1.67million payout after an insurance firm claimed her 'glossy' Instagram posts proved she was lying about her injuries.
Natasha Palmer, 34, suffered a brain injury when a drink-driver smashed into the back of her Renault Clio at high speed on the M25 in 2014.
She was left disabled and unable to work due to severe migraines, poor memory and concentration, light sensitivity and anxiety, as well as dizziness that she described to a doctor as making her 'walk like she was drunk'.
But after she sued the other driver, Seferif Mantas, who was convicted of drink-driving, for damages of more than £2million, his insurance company accused her of 'fundamental dishonesty' and exaggerating her problems.
Lawyers for Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Ltd submitted more than 700 hundred pages of social media posts to the High Court which they said proved she had been lying about the effects of the crash.
The Instagram posts, uploaded by Ms Palmer, showed her enjoying holidays skiing and in India, attending music events and completing sporting challenges including a 10km Bear Grylls obstacle run.
But Judge Anthony Metzer QC awarded her a massive compensation payout after accepting her Instagram posts 'did not present a complete picture, as she would tend to put a positive gloss on how she was doing as she wished to obtain more likes.'
'Social media tends to paint a glossy picture of the poster's life,' he said, handing her £1,679,406 in damages, £1.2million of which came from loss of earnings as the judge noted she was on course to earn £75,000 a year had it not been for the crash.
Natasha Palmer has been awarded £1.67million in damages after she was left with a brain injury following a crash involving a drink-driver on the M25 in 2014
Following the crash in 2014, the court heard Ms Palmer also suffered damage to her neck, chest, back and ribs, was left with a disjointed memory after the accident, and her car - which had been an 18th birthday gift - was written off.
She has been unemployed since November 2017, Mr Metzer said, and has been receiving employment support allowance since January 2018.
Seferif Mantas was later convicted of drink-driving, the court was told.
Lawyers for Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Ltd accepted liability but hotly disputed the extent of the injuries claimed by Ms Palmer, accusing her of 'fundamental dishonesty' in exaggerating her case.
Although she claimed damages of more than £2million for injuries which she said wrecked her career, defence lawyers said her case was worth just £5,407.
Ms Palmer, a once fitness fanatic and skier, faced claims she had lied about the impact the accident had had on her life and
