A man who was left in a wheelchair as a result of injuries he sustained in a car accident has been awarded damages of €3.5million at the High Court.
The man, from the east of the country, sustained severe leg injuries in the crash in November 2014 and spent over a year in hospital recovering from his injuries.
The man was taking charges against the company which owned and operated the heavy good vehicle which caused the crash, and against the vehicle’s driver. The owners of two cars which were illegally parked at the scene of the crash were also sued.
Counsel for the man, now aged 59, told the court that his client had been driving in his local town when the heavy goods vehicle collided with his car while attempting to overtake some parked cars.
It was the man’s claim that the driver of the heavy goods vehicle had failed to take any adequate lookout and had attempted to overtake the parked cars when it was unsafe and dangerous to do so.
He also claimed that other driver had failed to take any adequate evasive action to avoid a crash when it became clear the two vehicles were on course to collide.
The claims against the owners of the two parked cars said that they had parked their cars in an unsafe place.
All of the claims were denied. The case was before the High Court for assessment of damages only.
The court heard that the man had been forced to use a wheelchair since the time of the crash, and that the man was now under the primary care of his brother.
The High Court judge approved the settlement of €3.5million in damages and wished the man all the best for his future.
If you have suffered injuries as the result of an accident for which you were not at fault, be sure to discuss the issue with your solicitor. In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement.