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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