A woman who was thrown to the ground and suffered serious shoulder injuries when the camper van she was getting into took off was awarded more than £250,000 damages at the High Court yesterday.
Ms Anne O'Connell (58), of Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, a former secretarial assistant to the Fine Gael party in the Dail, was awarded £251,851 for what her counsel described as a "horrendous " injury to her right shoulder, which required three operations.
She sustained the injuries on June 2nd 1996 when a camper van belonging to the defendant, Mr Mairtin Mac Cormaic, took off and she was thrown to the ground.
She was unconscious for a short time before being taken to Naas County Hospital, where she had a plate and screws inserted in her shoulder.
Mr Justice Smith, awarding damages, said that while the fracture had healed, Mrs O'Connell now had restricted movements of the shoulder joint and a Y-shaped surgical scar over her right shoulder.
Mr Justice Smith assessed general damages of £105,000 and special damages to include loss of income, pension and retirement gratuity at £146,851, bringing the total to £251,851.