Michael Schumacher health condition news 2016: Magazine sued for fake report about F1 legend's health

Martin Martinez Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Following one of the biggest tragedies in sports history, Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher is still going through a slow and painful process of recovery, with fans uncertain just how much the hugely popular F1 driver can progress.

Back in 2013, Schumacher was involved in a skiing accident that left him with severe brain injuries that he, along with his family, are still dealing with.

Michael Schumacher back in 2011. | Wikimedia Commons / Mark McArdle

Schumacher has definitely made some strides since he was in a coma in the immediate aftermath of the accident, but as far as is understood, his progress has been slow and unsure.

However, his recovery has also been the subject of speculation and false claims over recent years. One publication, Bunte magazine, even released an article saying that the former driver was able to walk - a claim that later turned out to be entirely untrue, and resulted in the magazine being sued for the false report.

Felix Damm, the family's lawyer, slammed claims made by the magazine, revealing that Schumacher is still incapable of walking.

In a court hearing in Germany, Damm simply said, "He cannot walk." Aside from this, he refused to give any more information regarding Schumacher's current health.

Aside from the news that Schumacher could walk, Bunte also claimed that the star could raise his arms and move without any assistance, something that Sabine Kehm denied as well. Kehm is Schumacher's manager and he has slammed the magazine for irresponsibly releasing inaccurate information.

As a result, the Schumacher family is now seeking damages between $44,000 and $111,000. It is expected that the verdict for the case willl be available in the next month.

Many fans of the stricken driver remains hopeful that one day their idol will be back on his own two feet and may resurface in the public again. However, at the moment his precise condition has been kept mostly private as the family deals with the situation and tries to create an environment where Schumacher can continue to recover as efficiently as is possible.