Case Study

Colm was a rear seat passenger in a taxi which was stationary in traffic. Suddenly, and without warning, the taxi was hit from behind by another car, pushing it forward. Colm’s knee struck the seat in front of him and his face hit the hard plastic on the back of the driver’s seat. When Colm got out of the car he felt his left hip pop. The taxi driver drove Colm to the nearest hospital to be assessed.

At the emergency department Colm complained of left arm tingling and right knee pain. After being assessed, he was initially diagnosed with trapped nerves in his left arm. In the days following the accident, Colm developed symptoms of concussion including amnesia, blurred vision and dizziness.

Further X-rays also showed that he had suffered soft tissue damage to his left hip and right knee. He was prescribed medication for the pain and dizziness.

Colm’s knee and hip injuries were later diagnosed as post-traumatic knee and hip osteoarthritis.

The accident had a significant impact on Colm’s daily lifestyle. His hip and knee pain continues to flare up and often disturbs his sleep. Colm experiences discomfort and difficulty when walking long distances and has had to give up some of his recreational activities such as golf. He has had cortisone injections and physiotherapy to help manage the pain.

Colm also suffered psychologically from the accident and developed a phobia of travelling in cars because of a fear of being in another accident. He was referred to a psychologist.

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, Colm sustained physical and psychological injuries that have had an ongoing impact on his life.

Case progression:

Solicitor Ruth Foy instigated Court proceedings, and the case was brought to a successful conclusion.

Case settlement:

The case was settled on the 22^nd of August 2024 for the sum of €15,000. This was a great result for our client. We are proud of all the work put in by Ruth Foy 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.