A 12-year-old boy who has been the victim of three car accidents was awarded €14,000 damages yesterday for injuries suffered in the third crash.
The money will be added to €22,860 already invested in court funds which was compensation paid in 2001 for injuries he received in two earlier accidents.
Judge Elizabeth Dunne heard in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday that Jack Roberts, Whinbush, Hillcrest Road, Sandyford, Dublin, had been injured in accidents in 1994, when he was two, and in 1995 and 1996.
His mother, Ms Noelle O'Connell-Roberts, told the boy's counsel, Mr Michael Conlon, that psychological injuries suffered in the earlier accidents had been exacerbated as a result of the 1996 crash. She told Ms Adrienne Fields, counsel for Derek Russell, Barroway, Thurles, Co Tipperary, that the first two accidents had been settled for just under €23,000. Liability had been conceded in all three cases.
Ms O'Connell-Roberts said that in 1996, a truck driven by Russell had driven into her car on a one-way Dublin street. At the time, Jack had been "generally improving" from his injuries suffered in the earlier accidents and had been looking forward to attending Montessori school.
After the third accident he had started fretting and became unhappy, and had to repeat his first school year. Judge Dunne said that while she had to be careful not to compensate twice for the same damage, she was satisfied the boy was not coping particularly well for his age. The compensation will be invested in court funds until Jack is 18.