Case Study

Case summary:

Incident:

One late night, Taylor was driving home after picking up a pizza for her daughter. As she was driving through a junction with the lights in her favour, suddenly and without warning, her car was struck on the left side by another driver.

Taylor’s car was hit with such force that it was knocked to the other side of the road and onto the footpath, where it struck a wooden electricity pole. Taylor was thrown forward but was restrained by her seatbelt. She experienced pain in her chest and banged her knee.

The driver and passenger of the car that hit Taylor’s fled the scene.

A passing ambulance saw the crashed car and stopped to check on Taylor. After being assessed by the paramedics, she was collected by a friend and taken home.

This road traffic accident greatly impacted Taylor’s life. Taylor experienced anxiety and fear when leaving the house and was particularly afraid when crossing the road. She was terrified as a passenger in a car and was very emotional, closing her eyes and gripping the door handle. Her sleep was poor with a broken pattern due to experiencing flashbacks of the accident and imagining other possible catastrophic outcomes.

Taylor was unable to work for two months and did not have a car for six weeks.

She attended her GP who confirmed that Taylor developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the accident. She was prescribed medication for her panic attacks and was referred to a psychiatric clinic.

Every road user bears the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of other road users. Unfortunately, on the day of the accident, the defendant was driving without taking due care and in a dangerous and unsafe manner.

As a result of the defendant’s failure to stop, Taylor sustained psychological injuries that have had an ongoing impact on her life.

Case progression:

The Injuries Resolution Board assessed the injury at €5,349.05. Solicitor Elaine Hickey reviewed the Injuries Resolution Board assessment and felt that it did not properly compensate Taylor for the injuries incurred. Elaine instead instigated Court proceedings, and the case was brought to a successful conclusion.

Case settlement:

The case was settled on the 29^th of May 2025 for the sum of €15,000. This was a great result for our client, we are proud of all 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.