Case Study

Case summary

Incident

Peter was on his way home from work, travelling on an electric scooter. He was wearing high visibility gear and a helmet. While going through a junction with green lights, he was struck by a van approaching from the right.

Peter fell onto the road, landing on the left side of his body. He felt pain in his left wrist, chest and head. During the collision, Peter hit his head against the road, causing his helmet to break. A man from a passing car helped Peter to get on his feet and walked him to the path.

The ambulance was called and transported Peter to the nearest Emergency Department. X-rays revealed a left wrist injury, and he was also diagnosed with a soft tissue injury to his chest.

Peter was treated with a splint for his left wrist and referred to an orthopaedic fracture clinic. He attended eight sessions of physiotherapy and wore his splint for six weeks. He attended his GP four times following the accident for his injuries.

This collision impacted Peter’s daily lifestyle. Peter was unable to work for three months following the accident. Furthermore, he had to switch professions from working in the transport industry to hospitality as he was unable to lift heavy loads. He continues to feel pain in his left wrist and was informed by medical professionals that his wrist will likely require injections and further treatment in the future.

On the day of the accident, the defendant showed negligence in his ability to stop, slow down, or keep a proper lookout to maintain a safe road environment. Motor vehicle drivers bear the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of other road users. As a direct consequence of this negligence, Peter suffered not only physical injuries but also financial hardship.

Case progression

Solicitor Maria Lakes instigated Court proceedings, and the case was brought to a successful conclusion.

Case settlement

The case was settled on the 31^st of March 2025 for the sum of €16,000. This was a great result for our client and we are proud of all the work put in by Maria and her team to achieve this brilliant outcome.

 *Note: Client name changed for GDPR reasons.

Information updated January 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I make a car accident claim?

   Following a car crash or other road traffic accident, your first port of call is to check to see if you, any passengers and anybody else involved in the accident need medical attention and to call an ambulance, where necessary, to ensure that medical attention is gotten as soon as possible.

   It is important that, if you have suffered a personal injury that you book an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible after the road traffic accident, even if you are involved in a minor road traffic accident, regardless of how minor you think the injuries are, in some cases these minor injuries can develop into a more serious threat to your health. In worst case scenarios, fatal road accidents can occur.

2. What information will my solicitor need to make a claim?

   In order for your solicitor to proceed with a personal injury claim for you they will need the following information:

   • Details of the person who caused the accident.
   • Names, addresses and contact information of any witnesses to the accident.
   • Where available, photographs of the location of the accident, paying particular attention to the item or area where the accident happened.
   • Name of Gardaí/police and station where the accident was reported – names of any Gardaí who attended the scene of the accident (where applicable).
   • Medical records detailing any injuries/treatment following the accident.
   • Details of any costs incurred following the accident (keep your receipts).
   • Details of any loss of earnings and details of any future loss of earnings if you are to be out of work for a long period of time.
   • Cost of medical treatment – details of future medical treatment needed.

3. How to calculate the value of my claim?

   The Injuries Board Book of Quantum provides us with general guidelines as to how much compensation may be awarded in a personal injury claim and is used by the Injuries Board when they are assessing a personal injury claim. This book was compiled by examining sample cases from over 51,000 closed personal injury cases from 2013 and 2014 and is based on actual court figures. It shows us what personal injury compensation amounts were awarded in the past and help give an estimate as to how much compensation could be awarded based on a person’s specific injuries.