Case Study

Case summary:

Incident:

Darren was travelling as a passenger on a public bus. He was seated upstairs in the middle section of the bus. Suddenly, the bus came to a sharp stop. The bus had hit a van that was stopped at a red light. Darren was thrown forward but remained in his seat and did not hit his head.

However, he felt immediate pain in his back and neck.

The next day, Darren was still experiencing back and neck pain, so he attended his nearest A&E department for assessment.

On examination, it was found that Darren had sustained a soft tissue injury to the left side of his neck and upper back during the bus accident. He was given a prescription for anti-inflammatories and discharged.

Darren continued to experience back and neck pain for several months after the accident. His neck pain made it difficult for him to sleep, and he had to take two weeks off from his job as an electrician because of his injury.

Before the accident, Darren was an active gym member. His ongoing pain prevented him from being able to attend his gym for a number of months.

After about three months, Darren was slowly able to return to the gym. However, he continues to experience mild pain when working, particularly when he is pulling cables through ceiling panels and needs to look upwards.

Case progression:

The Injuries Resolution Board assessed the injury at €2,707. Solicitor Ruth Foy reviewed the Injuries Resolution Board assessment and felt that it did not properly compensate the client for the injuries incurred. Ruth instead instigated Court proceedings, and the case was brought to a successful conclusion.

Case settlement:

The case was settled on the 30^th of January 2025 for the sum of €16,500. This was a great result for our client. We are proud of all the work put in by Ruth 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.