First off, talk to as many lawyers as you can for free.
Secondly, I'm guessing you will have to prove negligence on his part in small claims court. Are you able to do this? If not, I think you're pretty much screwed.
I sued a guy in small claims court that wrecked my car. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. Mind you I had a good case, spent many hours preparing for it, and set up one of his witness' to lie in court. Then the Judge slapped their pee pees. It was absolutely hilarious.
If you like arguing you'll love small claims court. Just make sure you can win the case before wasting valuable time.