Expert driver Paul Rees is suing BBC Studios for personal injury following a crash that occurred in December 2022 while filming the television show Top Gear. The incident took place at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.
Court documents filed by Rees outline claims about the sequence of events leading to the crash. According to defense filings by BBC Studios, microphones were present in the vehicle during the filming. At one point, the documents state, Andrew Flintoff, the presenter driving, expressed concern as the car's front wheel lifted while taking a corner. Rees reportedly reassured Flintoff that the vehicle could not roll over.
Later, as they approached the same corner again, Rees instructed Flintoff to "now turn right... now full power, full power," the defense filings claim. The document further asserts that "a front wheel lifted and because on the claimant's instruction the presenter continued to apply power the Morgan turned over."
BBC Studios is disputing Rees's claim for personal injury. The court document also notes that "At no time in the period after the accident did the claimant suggest that he had suffered any injury in the accident."