Two American magicians have been awarded damages of more than two million dollars by a Malaysian court after a traffic accident left them unable to perform their successful double act, a report said today.

Tim Joel Gurtler and Jennifer Lynn Gurtler, who appeared together at venues worldwide including in Las Vegas, were travelling on a highway in 1998 when a truck rammed their taxi, leaving them with unspecified permanent injuries, the Star daily said.

The court judge said the award of RM8.75 million (US$2.42 million) was to make up for lost earnings and injuries, and held the truck driver and his company entirely responsible.

Solo acts for a living

"I can now get on with my life although the award is not enough to compensate for the pain and sufferings my wife and I went through," Tim Joel Gurtler was quoted as saying.

"We were at the peak of our career then and the accident has left a major scar on our lives," he said.

Gurtler told the newspaper his spouse was no longer able to perform with him, and that he was now presenting simple solo acts to make a living.