A man who can only communicate through printed cards after suffering severe head injuries in a car accident has been awarded €2.45 million in compensation.
Mr Conor Barry (26), from Grange, Castlemartyr, Co Cork, was a back seat passenger in a Ford Fiesta that crashed at a bridge near Midleton in east Cork on June 17th, 1998.
Mr Barry, who at the time of the incident was in his second year of training to be an electrician, suffered severe head injuries in the collision.
The defendants in the case were Ms Noreen Tattan, of Chapel Road, Ballycotton, Co Cork, who was driving the car in which Mr Barry was a passenger, and Cork County Council.
The council were defendants as the vehicle collided with a road barrier near the bridge.
At the High Court in Cork, Mr Justice Finnegan was told that the man has been left with such a severe disability he now relies on printed cards to communicate.
Dr John O'Mahony SC said Mr Barry's family had worked hard to ensure their son was given a good quality of life.
Dr O'Mahony told the court that on a number of occasions Mr Barry found himself lost and became frantically distressed as he tried to make his way home to the rural area of Castlemartyr.
Mr Barry now carries cards he can show to members of the public when he requires assistance.
In an example given to the court, Mr Barry carries a card at all times with the inscription: "Can you please tell me the time of the next bus to Castlemartyr?"
Other cards consist of simple greetings and also requests for help.
Most of the €2.45 million award will be used to pay for his nursing care and occupational therapy. He has been receiving beneficial therapy at Headway Ireland in Cork since the incident occurred six years ago.
As the case involves a serious head injury, an application will follow at a later stage to have the young man made a ward of court.
Mr Justice Finnegan directed a medical evaluation be carried out on the injured party.
"This is a very tragic case but in the circumstances it is a very good result and his lawyers are to be complimented," said Mr Justice Finnegan.
Mr Barry was in court with his parents to hear the judgment. However, his relatives were too distressed to comment following the case.