Michael Schumacher health condition latest news: Schumachers sue German magazine for false report; verdict to be announced this month

Following claims that the Formula One (F1) legend was recovering well from his two-and-a-half-year-old skiing injuries, Michael Schumacher's lawyer has had to reveal his true health condition in court.

Ever since the 2013 skiing accident that put Schumacher in a medically induced coma for six months, details about the seven-time F1 champion's health status have been a closely guarded family secret. So when reports about Schumacher's presumed recovery came out on the German weekly magazine, "Bunte," in December 2015, the racing legend's manager, Sabine Kehm was quick to debunk the claims and call the publication out for irresponsible reporting. The case was brought to court and a verdict is expected to be announced sometime this month.

Felix Damm, the lawyer who represented the Schumacher family, revealed in a court proceeding in Hamburg in September that the F1 champion is still unable to walk or stand without assistance. The Telegraph added that Schumacher's family is suing the magazine for invasion of privacy with a lawsuit amounting to €40,000-100,000.

The erroneous report of Schumacher's presumed positive response to treatment, which allegedly came from an unnamed friend, gave fans false hope that the legendary F1 racer was getting better.

It was back in Dec. 29, 2013 when Schumacher fell and hit his head on a rock while skiing in the Alps with his son and some of his friends. He had two operations aimed at reducing the swelling on his brain and was put in a medically induced coma for the next six months. In June 2014, he was transferred to Lausanne, Switzerland for continued rehabilitation, and was later on moved back to his home on the shores of Lake Geneva three months later. His family has made all efforts to keep his health status private since then.

Schumacher's condition may not have improved, but he continues to fight. This was according to a statement the former F1 priest, Don Sergio Mantovani, gave to German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, as cited by Wheels24.

"What we saw as a driver and certainly what is true still today is that Michael is a fighter," Mantovani said."

Fans of Schumacher continue to hope for the racing champion's eventual recovery.