Case Study

Case summary

Incident

One early morning, Justine was driving to work on the motorway. The weather conditions were very poor due to a storm, and it was still dark. When Justine was slowing in traffic, suddenly and without warning, the vehicle behind hit the back of her car. Justine was thrown forwards and her hands took the impact of her body weight against the steering wheel.

After exchanging details with the driver who caused the accident, Justine drove to work. However, after two hours she was driven home by a colleague as she felt severe pain in her right wrist and lower back. Justine made an appointment to see her GP the following day.

As she was unable to get an appointment with her regular GP, Justine was seen and assessed by an emergency doctor who prescribed anti-inflammatory medications and referred her for physiotherapy. An X-ray of the right wrist, performed ten days after the accident, did not show any fractures.

Justine was unable to work for one month and attended seventeen physiotherapy sessions.

This accident had a significant impact on Justine’s life. Justine suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and insomnia. She experienced low moods, excessive tiredness and a loss of interest and motivation. Justine was also hyperalert when driving and avoided car journeys for a long time. She continues to feel pain in her right wrist and lower back when carrying out domestic chores and driving long distances.

Every road user bears the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of other road users. Unfortunately, on the day of the accident, the defendant failed to slow down and stop their vehicle, resulting in a rear-end collision. As a direct result of this negligence, Justine suffered not only physical injuries but also psychological injuries and financial hardship.

Case progression

The Injuries Resolution Board assessed the injury at €11,869.52. Solicitor Paul Tracey reviewed the Injuries Resolution Board assessment and felt that it did not properly compensate Justine for the injuries incurred. Paul instead instigated Court proceedings, and the case was brought to a successful conclusion.

Case settlement

The case was settled on the 11^th of November 2024 for the sum of €22,500. This was a great result for our client, and we are proud of all the work put in by Paul and his team to achieve this successful outcome.

 *Note: Client name changed for GDPR reasons.

Information updated August 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.