Case Study

Case summary:

Incident:

Dan was driving his car one dark evening. As he turned right from a main road onto a minor road, another vehicle, which did not have the right of way, pulled out from the minor road. The oncoming vehicle didn’t see Dan’s car and collided into it on the driver’s side.

Dan was able to get out of the car himself and emergency services were called.

He was taken to hospital where his injuries were assessed. X-rays showed no fractures and he was discharged that night with pain management advice.

Dan had pre-existing lower back pain from a workplace accident and this road traffic accident exacerbated his condition.

Since the car accident, Dan has experienced ongoing and significant pain in the lower and middle part of his back. He initially relied on daily painkillers but was unable to take them on a long-term basis because of gastric upset.

Dan now finds long-distance driving aggravates his pain, and his ability to do regular exercise is limited.

Dan has also experienced broken and inconsistent sleep since the accident.

Every road user has a responsibility to ensure the safety of others on the road. Unfortunately, the driver did not take due care on the day of the accident, which led to considerable ongoing pain for Dan.

Case settlement:

Court proceedings were instigated, and the case was settled on 15 June 2024 for the sum of €15,000.

This was a great result for our client, and we are proud of the work put in by Elaine Hickey and her team to achieve this outcome.

*Note: Client name changed for GDPR reasons.

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.