An insurance company has been ordered to pay aggravated damages in a whiplash claim for compensation after failing to pursue allegations of collusion against the claimant.
Mr Justice Matthew Deery made the order against the AXA insurance company after it had accused the injured victim of a rear-end accident – James O’Sullivan, of Clane, County Kildare – of colluding with a defence witness in order to support his compensation claim for a whiplash injury.
The judge heard how the negligent driver in the case – Gary Reilly, of Ballyfermot, County Dublin – had sworn an affidavit concerning the events of September 27, 2008, when Reilly´s taxi rear-ended O´Sullivan vehicle in Eirhouse in County Dublin.
However Mr Justice Matthew Deery said that the allegation had not been pursued at the hearing and directed that AXA and Reilly pay aggravated damages of 3,000 Euros to O´Sullivan for the manner in which they had defended the whiplash injuries claim in addition to the award of 7,750 Euros for whiplash injury.