The Supreme Court has reduced to £30,000 an award of £72,500 in damages paid to a Dublin man whose stationary car was run into by a bus. The court said the man had "told persistent lies in and out of court".
When granting the original award to Mr Patrick Vesey, the High Court judge said: "The plaintiff has lied to me, he has lied to his own doctors, he has lied to the defendants' doctors.
"Let me say that the only fact in this case about which I am absolutely certain is that the accident took place, and I am only certain of that because the defendants have admitted it."
The case arose out an accident on the Stillorgan Road, Dublin, on September 9th, 1996. Mr Vesey, of Ballyogan Court, Carrickmines, was stationary at traffic lights when a bus owned by Bus ╔ireann drove into the rear of his vehicle.
He took proceedings for damages for personal injuries. Bus ╔ireann admitted liability but challenged the extent of the injuries and loss alleged. The High Court awarded total damages of £72,500.
In the Supreme Court Mr Justice Hardiman said Mr Vesey had given contradictory evidence about his medical condition and his work history and had claimed to have been employed outside Ireland at times when, according to what he told doctors treating him, he had been out of work. He also claimed to have been employed abroad at times when he was drawing social welfare here.
Reducing from £30,000 to £15,000 the award for general damages, the judge said Mr Vesey had contradicted himself in relation to his history of working which appeared in reality to be "extremely sporadic" and in relation to his pre-accident medical condition.
The evidence did not support any psychiatric injury, and other medical evidence indicated modest injury only as the result of the accident. Mr Vesey had injuries related to previous accidents.
Mrs Justice Denham and Ms Justice McGuinness agreed with the judgment.