An action for damages by an engineer disabled for life following a road accident in Co Donegal in which his best friend died, was settled at the High Court in Dublin yesterday.
The settlement in the case of Mr Ian Begley (26), of Abbeydale, Waterside, Derry, was not disclosed to the court but is understood to be for about £3 million. Opening the case yesterday, Mr Adrian Hardiman SC, for Mr Begley, said his client sustained catastrophic injuries when a car, apparently driven at excessive speed by Mr Terence Milligan, overturned and went through a wall near Fahan, Co Donegal, early on January 2nd 1998.
Mr Begley was a rear-seat passenger in the car and was wearing a seat-belt. He was home on holidays from England where he was working as a railway signal engineer, having graduated with a degree in electronic engineering in 1997. As a result of the accident, he is quadriplegic and has only limited power in his arms.
The court was told he would require permanent nursing care.
His action for damages was against Mr Milligan and Mr Milligan's mother Esther, owner of the car involved, both with an address at Groarty Road, Derry.
Liability was admitted and the case went ahead as an assessment of damages only.
In evidence, Mr Begley said he went out to meet a friend on the night of January 1st, 1998. They met Mr Milligan, who was friendly with his friend, in a bar.
They went to another bar and then decided to go to a hotel in Buncrana, Co Donegal.
Mr Begley said he sat in the back with his seat-belt on. He remembered coming to a service station after a Garda check point but had no recollection after that apart from being dragged from the car and hearing Mr Milligan shouting for help. His next recollection was waking up in hospital, and seeing his parents and a doctor. He was conscious of being unable to move. He was treated in hospitals for nine months and was very ill. He has lived with his parents since coming out of hospital.