An award of back seat passenger injury compensation has been made to an eighteen-year-old GAA player after a hearing at the High Court.
Ben Conroy – from Montrath in County Laois – was travelling in the rear seat of a car which was hit from behind by another vehicle attempting to overtake the car on the Rushin Road in Mountrath on March 15th 2009.
Ben suffered severe physical and psychological injuries as a result of the accident and, as he only fourteen years of age at the time, a claim for back seat passenger injury compensation was made against the driver of the vehicle – Craig Dooley of Mountrath – by Ben´s father.
As Craig Dooley was uninsured, the back seat passenger injury claim had to be made against the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland (MIBI); who accepted liability for Ben´s injuries but with whom Ben´s solicitors could not agree a settlement of injury compensation.
The claim was settled in the High Court where, after hearing evidence of Ben´s injuries, the court awarded the GAA player €20,600 in compensation.