DEF LEPPARD's RICK ALLEN Says Something Positive Came Out Of His Near-Fatal Auto Accident

This past December marked thirty years since the life-altering accident suffered by DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen in which he lost his left arm in an auto accident in England. Allen had to relearn how to play drums and drum manufacturer Simmons worked with him to build a kit. The band stuck with Allen through the difficult time and the drummer persevered through an accident that would have ended most people’s careers.

Allen was recently asked by a TMZ cameraman if the incident in any way positively affected the music that the band made. "I think so," Allen replied (see video below). "I think I was just more aware of how it affected people, you know, in a good way."

Speaking to Artisan News in November 2014, DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott praised Allen, saying: "The fact that he's still doing it speaks volumes. He's so focused on doing this. It was something that he had to overcome, and he has to maintain that and continuously overcome it. I mean, what can you say about a guy that spent more time with one arm than two and still plays in a top band? It's an amazing thing."

After visiting the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2006, Allen dedicated himself to helping war veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of sustaining injuries similar to his own.

Allen told ABC News in 2012: "I didn't know what my life would be like after that terrible day. It was the darkest time in my life… My desire is to encourage a support system for warriors, de-stigmatize PTSD, share their stories and offers alternative ways to pave the road to resiliency and health."