A former honours university student, who had to abandon her plans to become a teacher after a horrific road traffic accident, is to receive 3 million €uros in compensation for a brain injury in a car crash.
Rhona Murphy (34) from Newcastle in County Galway suffered her traumatic injury in February 1999 when she was a front seat passenger in a car which attempted to undertake a slower moving vehicle on the Galway to Headford Road.
The driver of the car lost control of the vehicle and collided with a car travelling in the opposite direction – causing 20-year-old Rhona to sustain life-threatening injuries which, the High Court heard, she was lucky to survive.
Rhona had to give up her studies and her potential teaching career because of the brain damage she suffered, and has been cared for by her father since the accident. Rhona is still under medication to help her cope with her loss of memory and loss of balance.
Through her father, Rhona made a claim for compensation for a brain injury in a car crash against the driver of the vehicle – alleging that they had been driving in a reckless manner and had attempted a dangerous manoeuvre at an excessive speed.
Liability for the claim was accepted by the driver and, at the High Court, Ms Justice Mary Irvine was told that an offer of 3 million €uros had been made in settlement of the claim for a brain injury in a car crash which Rhona´s family had agreed to.
Ms Justice Mary Irvine approved the settlement of compensation for a brain injury in a car crash, commenting that it was a good settlement in the circumstances considering the doubt that Rhona had been wearing a seatbelt at the time and that she had consciously travelled as a passenger in a car which was being driven under the influence of alcohol.