Posted: February 13th, 2014
A thirty-two year old woman, who suffered devastating injuries because of a driver´s irresponsibility, has resolved her claim for a passenger injury in a car accident after a hearing at the High Court.
Lydia Branley from Kinlough in Country Leitrim – a former air traffic controller – was left in a coma in September 2010 when the driver of a BMW Coupe in which she was a passenger lost control of the vehicle at 150km per hour and came off the N4 on the Ballinsodare slip road near Sligo.
The BMW collided with two roadside barriers, hit a pole and ended up on its roof in a stream by the side of the road. The driver of the BMW and another passenger were thrown from the car in the accident, but Lydia was knocked unconscious and had to be rescued from the wreckage by emergency services.
Lydia was rushed to Sligo General Hospital, from where she was transferred to Dublin´s Beaumont Hospital due to her serious condition. She remained in a coma for nine months and discovered when she awoke that she had lost the use of her limbs and was unable to speak.
The driver of the car – Martin Kearney from Balinoo in County Mayo – was also injured in the accident but was subsequently convicted in June 2012 of dangerous driving causing serious harm and sentenced to six years in prison. He was also banned from driving for twenty years.
Through her father, Lydia made a claim for a passenger injury in a car accident and a settlement of €10 million was negotiated. However, due to Lydia´s condition, the settlement had to first be approved by a judge before the claim could be concluded.
Therefore, at the High Court in Dublin, Ms Justice Mary Irvine heard the circumstances of the car crash, the details of Lydia´s injuries and an explanation of why Lydia will require full-time care for the rest of her life.
Judge Irvine commented that the settlement of compensation for a passenger injury in a car accident did not give back Lydia her life. “Nothing will”, the judge said, “but it will provide her with the best care and hopefully bring back a degree of normality.” Judge Irvine then approved the settlement and closed the hearing.
Categories: Passengers in Car Accidents
