The High Court has approved a settlement of €3.3 million for a seven-year-old girl who suffered severe spinal injuries in a road accident in which her father died.
Ciara O'Mahony, suing through her mother, Mrs Kathleen O'Mahony, of Cahermoneen, Tralee, Co Kerry, yesterday settled her action against Mr Gerry Conway, of Railway View, Fermoy, Co Cork. His vehicle was stated to have crashed into the rear of the O'Mahonys' car on the Dublin-Cork road near Corbett Court, Mitchelstown, on June 3rd, 2000.
In her statement of claim, Ciara said she was a rear-seat passenger in her father's car when it had to halt on the road behind an articulated truck. It was alleged that, as Ciara's father brought his car to a halt, it was struck violently from behind by the defendant's vehicle and rammed into the back of the truck.
Mr O'Mahony died and Ciara sustained what were described as "massive" injuries. She was for a time trapped behind her father's seat in the car.
Her right leg was broken, she had probable bilateral rib fractures and swelling in the area containing the heart.
X-rays in Cork University Hospital showed she had a broken thigh and shin bone.
She was operated on that day, with pins and metalwork inserted into her lower limb fractures.
A subsequent MRI scan showed spinal cord damages.
Four days after the accident her breathing became distressed and she had to be put on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit.
That same day, which was her father's funeral, she developed abdominal difficulties and had to have further surgery.
Ciara was later transferred to the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin.