Two American children who were injured in a car crash in Galway city 10 years ago, in which their mother and two sisters died, have settled their High Court action for damages for a total of €1.32 million.
The tragedy occurred when the hired car driven by the children's father, Martin Devane, went out of control at a bad bend and crashed into a stone pillar.
The family were on their way to Shannon airport to return to the US at the end of their holiday.
Mary Teresa Devane (31) and her daughters, Elaine (nine) and Christine (eight), were killed. Mr Devane and the couple's two other children, Brenda (five) and Michael (two), were seriously injured.
An inquest later heard that the car appeared to go out of control as it came into a bad bend at Kileen House, Bushy Park, Galway, on August 28th, 1997, as the family travelled to Shannon from Connemara.
In the High Court yesterday, Brenda, now 16, settled her action for damages for €750,000 while Michael, now 12, settled his action for damages for €370,000.
Mr Justice John Quirke approved the settlements and also approved another settlement of €200,000 for the family in respect of the death of the children's mother.
The judge sympathised with the family and said he was sorry that such a dreadful tragedy had befallen them.
Brenda Devane and her brother, Michael, of Roxbury, Boston, had, through their uncle John Beatty, sued her father Martin Devane who was the driver of the car, as well as Flynn Brothers Rent a Car (Ballygar) Ltd, Co Galway, trading as Budget Rent a Car, and the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland Ltd.
Paul Flannery SC, for the plaintiffs, told the court this was an appalling accident.
Mr Devane, the driver of the car at the time, was not insured to drive the hired car, Mr Flannery said.
His wife had hired the car at the start of the holiday and Mr Devane had joined his family a week later.
Mr Devane was highly protective of his two remaining children and initially did not want to let them travel to Ireland for the court case, Mr Flannery said.
Brenda, the court heard, had suffered a fracture to her ribs and hips and was unconscious for two weeks. The injury was extremely nasty and she would require three or four hip replacements in her lifetime, Mr Flannery added. She has been left with a limp.
Michael Devane was only 26 months old at the time of the accident, the court heard. He remembers nothing of the accident and wept in court as he showed his finger, which had been crushed in the impact, to the judge.
An inquest had heard that Ms Devane and her two daughters had died instantly.
Another motorist gave evidence that the Devanes' car had gone out of control on a bend and he could see the driver trying to bring the car under control, but in vain.