Family of woman killed in freak Luas incident settle action for €548,000

The family of a woman who was killed in a freak Luas incident have secured €548,000, plus costs, under a settlement of their High Court action.

Yao Webster (35) was on her way to work in Usher’s Island post office in Dublin city centre, and may have stopped to tie her lace, when the crash happened at the junction of Abbey Street and Jervis Street around 8.45am on April 7th, 2014.

A Luas tram, which was travelling on the red Line towards Tallaght, collided with a silver BMW car coming from the direction of the quays towards Parnell Street.

After being hit by the tram, the car spun out of control and into Ms Webster who was on the footpath outside the Leprechaun museum.

The car had broken a red light, Hugh O’Keeffe SC, for Robin Webster, husband of the deceased, told the court on Wednesday when asking it to approve a settlement of the proceedings.

Mr Webster (44), a software developer of Eden Grove, Donabate, Co Dublin, had sued Quentin Hannezo, of Ha’penny Bridge House, Lower Ormond Quay, driver of the BMW, and Transdev Dublin Light rail Ltd, trading as Luas, over the accident.

The settlement is against the defendants, but it includes an indemnity in favour of Transdev.

The bulk of the €548,000 goes to Mr Webster and his daughter, while his wife’s parents, who live in China, will get €20,000. The deceased was their only child.

Outlining the case, Mr O’Keeffe said Mr Webster met his wife when she came here to study English and they married in August 2003. At the time of the accident, she was a post office assistant in Usher’s Quay.

Mr Webster suffered a severe grief reaction, but did his best to maintain his daughter’s routine after the accident, counsel said. Her parents remain in contact with their grandchild and Mr Webster hoped she would learn Mandarin and Chinese customs.

Mr Justice Kevin Cross approved the settlement as a very good one for this “tragic and difficult” case.

After the settlement, Mr Webster’s solicitor Dermot McNamara said the case highlighted the potential danger for motorists approaching Luas crossings.

He said a momentary lapse in concentration by the motorist in this case proved to be “devastating” for the Webster family.

Chloe had lost her mother, Mr Webster lost his wife and her parents in China lost their only child, he said.