Jon Blake was driving home late on December 1, 1986, after the final day's filming of The Lighthorsemen (1987) when his car, swerving to miss a car parked on the wrong side of the road with its lights turned off, struck another vehicle. He sustained severe brain injuries and will exist in a near-vegetative state until his death.His legal guardian sued the man whose car was parked on the wrong side of the road on Blake's behalf. On December 5, 1995, the New South Wales Supreme Court ruled that Blake should be compensated for the loss of potential earnings as a star in the United States. After taking evidence from actors, directors, and film critics who indicated his career could have been as big as Mel Gibson's, the court awarded him $32 million in damages. This was later reduced to $7 million after the defence appealed.
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