A MAN left severely injured after a motorbike crash has won a court case to get benefits.

Paul Ellis, 52, of Laindon, was flown to hospital in a serious condition after being in collision with another motorcyclist along Wethersfield Road, in Sible Hedingham, on Sunday, June 5.

The other rider, 22-year-old Craig Currie, from Gateshead, sadly died at the scene.

Mr Ellis was left with eight broken ribs, fractures to his neck and spine, a fractured left foot and a fractured jaw.

Although he has a made miraculous recovery after doctors told him he might not walk again, he still relies on a stick and suffers with constant pain.

He had to leave his job as a taxi driver and although he had tried to return to work, he said the constant pain from his injuries made it impossible.

He was signed off work by his doctor and started to receive employment support allowance.

However, after an assessment he was told he was fit to work and would no longer receive any money.

He then tried to get jobseekers’ allowance, but was told he wasn’t eligible because he wasn’t fit to work.

He began struggling to pay his rent and get to his physiotherapy appointments, falling into rent arrears.

He survived on handouts from his friends and family but said the stress was not helping his health.

Eventually, he took the Department for Work and Pensions to court to try and get them to overturn their ruling that he was not legible for employment support allowance.

He was thrilled when he won his case at Basildon Crown Court on Friday.

He said: “I was represented by my case manager.

“The hearing only lasted about 20 minutes and they stopped my case manager before she had finished my defence.

“They told us they had already made a decision and they agreed I was unfit for work.

“I feel victorious.

“The employment support allowance should have never been stopped.

“I have always worked and am finding it difficult to adjust.

“I am having extensive hydrotherapy and physiotherapy and my goal is to walk without a stick and ride again.”

Mr Ellis believes he will get the employment support allowance backdated.