The man and his then wife were driving to work in heavy traffic along the Tuggeranong Parkway about 8am in March 2007 when the vehicle in front of them stopped suddenly.

The man managed to stop his car but was rammed heavily from behind by another vehicle.

He felt immediate pain in his lower back and was shaken by the impact.

The man ignored paramedic advice and continued to work, but left early due to discomfort and lost sensation in his legs later that evening.

Scans showed there were no fractures but further medical testing revealed the crash had aggravated pre-existing and previously undiagnosed spinal osteoarthritis.

The man, now 49, said that the continuing pain of the injury caused him to lose his job, experience social isolation, mental illness, sexual dysfunction and contributed to the breakdown of his first marriage.

He took civil action against the other driver, who admitted the collision was caused by his negligence.

But the defendant’s lawyers tried to argue that an assault on the man by a disabled client in October 2007 had actually been the catalyst for his health problems.

Master David Harper, in a judgment handed down in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday, rejected the argument and found the man had been incapacitated by the crash.

‘‘I accept that the plaintiff has suffered from lower back pain of varying intensity over the years since the motor accident in March 2007 ... [and] at times the pain has been severe and disabling,’’ Master Harper wrote.

‘‘I am satisfied that the damage to the plaintiff occasioned by the assault was greater by reason of aggravation of the injury sustained in the motor vehicle collision.

‘‘I am satisfied that following the assault the plaintiff suffered an increase in his lower back symptoms, and I am satisfied that he suffered an increase in his psychological symptoms which had been present since the car accident.’’

Master Harper said the crash had affected the man’s satisfaction in life and he could not take part in recreational activities he previously enjoyed.

‘‘He has lost the benefits of employment, which, as a number of the doctors have said, have an importance well beyond the resultant loss of income,’’ the judgment said.

‘‘He continues to suffer from an adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression, and this has interfered with his relationships with other people.

‘‘His sexual capacity had been affected and he required medication in the form of Viagra to help overcome this.’’

Master Harper adjourned the case so lawyers could make submissions on the amount of compensation to be paid.