Schumacher family lawyer lifts lid on battle to protect F1 icon's health privacy

30 October 2023 , 14:19

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Almost 10 years have passed since Michael Schumacher's life-changing skiing accident (Image: Getty Images)

Michael Schumacher's family lawyer has insisted privacy surrounding his medical condition will continue despite the enormous demand for information about the stricken Formula 1 legend.

Schumacher suffered a skiing accident in December 2013 which led to him being placed in a medically-induced coma. Several months later, he was moved to his family's Lake Geneva home where his care would continue.

Beyond that, information about his condition has been scarce ever since. His adoring wife Corinna has fiercely protected the privacy of her husband to the point that only immediate family and very close friends know the details.

Family lawyer Felix Damm has played a significant role in helping her to do that. Speaking to German legal news outlet LTO, he explained why an official report was never made public after the crash.

"It was always about protecting private things," he said. "Of course, we discussed a lot about how this is possible. So we also considered whether a final report about Michael's health could be the right way to do this.

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"But that wouldn't have been the end of it and there would have had to be constantly updated 'water level reports'. Because as those affected, it is not up to you to put an end to the media.

"They could pick up on such a report again and again and ask, 'And what does it look like now?' one, two, three months or years after the message. And if we then wanted to take action against this reporting, we would have to deal with the argument of voluntary self-disclosure."

This December will mark a decade since Schumacher's crash. It came only a year after he had retired from F1 for the second and final time, after a three-year spell with Mercedes in which he helped the team to establish itself on the grid before going on to enjoy the remarkable success it has since with another seven-time champion, Lewis Hamilton.

Given the admiration F1 fans have for Schumacher's achievements and the paucity of information regarding his health since the accident, there remains great interest in his condition. Damm understands why that is the case, but warned fans that there is unlikely to be a change in approach from the family.

"Naturally," he replied when asked if he recognises why there is so much interest. Damm added: "But I also believe that the vast majority of fans can deal with it well and also respect the fact that the accident has set in motion a process in which private shelter is necessary and will now continue to be observed."

Daniel Moxon