A schoolgirl who suffered a catastrophic brain injury when a car driven by a doctor collided with her at a pedestrian crossing has settled her High Court action for almost €3 million.
Ashleigh Carroll, who was 14 at the time, was on her way to school when she was propelled into the air by the car which had sped along a bus lane in the Coolock area of Dublin city six years ago, her counsel Richard Kean SC told the court.
According to witnesses, Shereen El Mashad, a doctor from Egypt who was then working at Beaumont Hospital, drove at speed and struck the young girl who was crossing at a traffic lights pedestrian crossing on October 20th, 2016, said counsel.
Mr Kean said an international arrest warrant exists for the doctor who he said had for years maintained a full defence in the case, alleging that Ashleigh was responsible.
“For a number of years Ashleigh was in a perilous situation, where she could have been deprived of any compensation,” Mr Kean told Mr Justice Paul Coffey.
Ms Carroll, now aged 19, from Glasnevin, Dublin, had, through her mother Louise Carroll, sued the driver of the car, Shereen El Mashad, who has since returned to Egypt.
It was claimed Ms Carroll was lawfully traversing a public footpath near Oscar Traynor Road in Coolock and was in the process of crossing a roadway when a vehicle driven by the doctor, and in particular the wing mirror, was caused to collide with the teenager causing her to spin, fall to the ground and hit her head.
Liability was conceded in November 2020 and the case was before the court for assessment of damages only, counsel said. The driver later admitted reckless driving, going through a red light, driving at speed and driving in a bus lane.
Counsel had previously said one of his experts in the case would say Ashleigh suffered a life-altering traumatic brain injury.
Mr Justice Coffey approved the settlement for €2.95 million.
In a statement read outside the court by solicitor Keira O’Reilly, the family said: “At the time of the accident neither Ashleigh nor her family were aware what happened, and this was like a black cloud over them when they were already trying to deal with the aftermath of the accident,” the statement said.
“Ashleigh was a high achieving student at the time of the accident who had aspirations to go to Harvard to study forensic anthropology and also to become the President of Ireland. Unfortunately, the actions of the defendant cut this dream short.”