A young woman who is paralysed down one side, almost blind and has a brain injury after her bicycle went under a delivery lorry near Dublin city centre has secured €3.1 million in settlement of her High Court action for damages.
Julie Troy, from Auckland, New Zealand, was in Dublin in 2003 enjoying a "gap year" from her post as an institute of sport administraror at the University of Dundee, Scotland, when the accident occurred while she was cycling at the junction of Kildare Street and St Stephen's Green on July 2nd, 2003.
It was claimed that she was turning left from Kildare Street on the junction with St Stephen's Green shortly after 7.30am when a delivery lorry violently collided with her and she went under the lorry, as a result of which she suffered severe personal injuries.
She had sued the van driver, John O'Brien and Crossgar Poultry Ltd of Greenhills Business Park, Greenhills Road, Dublin. Ms Troy was found to be 20 per cent liable in relation to the accident. Ms Troy, the High Court heard, was to the left of the van as it turned.
It was claimed she was thrown under the lorry and a wheel went over her head.
Outlining the circumstances, Richard Keane SC, for Ms Troy, who will be 26 in two weeks' time, said she was enjoying her year out living in Dublin.
As she cycled up Kildare Street on July 2nd, both she and the delivery van were going left, counsel said.
The accident occurred as they moved on to the Green. Counsel said there was conflicting evidence and it was not clear whether the young woman was turning left or intended to turn right and was trying to get ahead of the lorry.
Mr Keane said Ms Troy has no memory of the accident and the case does not have the benefit of her account because of the extent of her injuries. The entire accident was captured on CCTV, he added.
Ms Troy had suffered critical injuries including a severe head injury and fractured skull and bones, Mr Keane said.
She was treated at St James's Hospital for eight months before being transferred by air ambulance to New Zealand.
While she has made some progress, she remains severely disabled, "cortically blind", paralysed down her left side and with speech difficulties.
Counsel said it was thanks to the medical people at St James's Hospital and "a miracle" that she was alive, as she had had to be resuscitated and had suffered cardiac arrest in hospital.
Counsel said Ms Troy was going out with her boyfriend, Stephen Gammack from Scotland, at the time of the accident and they married last year.
They now live near Dundee, Scotland.
Mr Justice Richard Johnson approved the settlement of €3.1 million plus costs.