A man left brain damaged after tripping in a pothole in Crouch End is set to win up to £1 million compensation.

Kyle Bullock, now in a wheelchair, spent up to four months in hospital after suffering severe traumatic brain injury.

He had damage to the frontal lobes and multiple skull fractures that have left him unable to work or live independently.

Homes for Haringey, a subsidiary of Haringey Council which manages the borough’s social housing and was responsible for the maintenance of the road, admitted being mostly responsible for the accident and compensation was approved at the Royal Courts of Justice yesterday.

Following negotiations, it was agreed in court that Mr Bullock be given an initial payment of £75,000 which will rise to at least £1million once his claim has been “fully quantified”, his lawyers said. He is now making plans to return home to Australia to be close to his mother and attempt to put his life back together.

The 33-year-old, who lived in Streatham, had been walking with friends in Lightfoot Road, Crouch End, on July 22, 2007.

After falling behind, he broke into a gentle jog to catch up with them before tripping in a three-inch deep and a 15-inch wide pothole.

He lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground and struck his head on a second pothole. It was this blow that caused the life-changing injuries that have altered his personality and made him unable to care for himself without help.

An inspection of Lightfoot Road found it was in poor condition and riddled with potholes leading to a claim being filed against Homes for Haringey.

Mr Bullock’s lawyers argued that regular inspections would have revealed the poor state of repair.

Jill Greenfield, a personal injury partner at Field Fisher Waterhouse, who represented Mr Bullock said: “The road should never have been left in this state and I felt Kyle had a strong case. The compromise represents the fact that Kyle could be seen to be partially at fault and the fact that the defence were disputing that the poorly maintained road was the cause of the accident.

“I am pleased that we have been able to recover compensation for Kyle so that he is able to join his family in Australia and begin to rebuild his life.”

After the accident he was taken to Whittington Hospital, Archway, and later transferred to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Bloomsbury.

He was discharged in November 2007 but has since been cared for because of mobility problems and memory loss. He had to leave his job at national charity The Children’s Society and he split with his fiancee Amanda Bailey.

Miss Bailey, who is still close to her former partner, said: “Kyle’s accident left him with serious brain damage and changed our lives forever.

“Money can never bring back what he has lost but it will allow Kyle to live as good a life as possible, getting access to therapy in Australia and helping him to build his life. I am very pleased with the result.”

Neil Block, QC for Homes for Haringey, said: “We are pleased to have reached an accommodation which, from a human point of view, should cater for most of Mr Bullock's needs in the future.”