In conversation with ..
Leonard Newman
What was supposed to be a weekend of relaxation and celebration , turned into a horror event that would change Leonard Newman ’ s * life . But , thanks to good planning , not only could he receive the medical treatment he needed , but his family could also be looked after for years to come .
Less than 10 km from a friend ’ s house where Leonard Newman would stay , a horrific accident not only left Newman in hospital for months , but also blind . This meant that his burgeoning career as a lawyer was suddenly cut short and the father of two very young children left disabled .
Newman , a PPS member since the early 1970s , shared his story with The Professional .
We met in the sunny meeting room at his son , Bill ’ s *, offices in Pretoria .
Now a much-loved grandfather , he often goes quiet as he relives the accident on 9 June 1987 that turned his world upside down .
“ In 1987 my newly established law firm just started getting traction . I had a partner on board , employed several clerks and I was involved with major projects – including the listing of a company on the JSE ,” he recalls .
“ I clearly remember the day when I was approached by an extremely wealthy farmer to assist him with his estate planning and Will . The gent owned numerous cattle farms and insisted that a trust be created for each and every farm clearly stipulating which one of his four children would be the beneficiary .
“ It took us many days to work through his stringent requirements .
“ When we finally completed the work , the client offered me a complete beef carcass as a gift to thank me for the work I did . He invited me to one of his farms to oversee the cutting and packing of the meat to ensure it is done to my preference .”
Newman falls silent for a long time before continuing his story .
“ On the way back from the farm to town where the farmer lived , the farmer ’ s son – who was driving the vehicle we travelled in – did not see the huge eucalyptus tree that fell partly into the road as the municipal council were cutting down these invasive trees . I was not even looking on the road as I was trying to find a radio broadcast to hear what the rugby score was .”
Newman remains quiet again .
“ From here on , I will tell you my story from what other people told me as I have no recollection of what happened . Apparently , the young man drove into the tree on the passenger side of the car where I was sitting . I suffered massive head injuries that left me in a coma for 28 days . He was not injured at all .”
Following the accident , Newman was first airlifted to Johannesburg and then to Pretoria . More than
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