A €60,000 car accident compensation settlement has been agreed at the Circuit Civil Court between a 64-year-old librarian and the former Bank of Ireland Governor Laurence Crowley in relation to a car crash that occurred in August 2015.
The librarian, Mr Richard Barrett with an address at The Turrets, Upper Rathmines Road, Dublin, filed the car accident compensation claim against Mr Crowley and O’Flaherty Holdings Limited, the registered owners of the car, for injuries he sustained in the road traffic accident at Monkstown Crescent, Dublin.
There was also a claim, made by Mr Barrett, that Mr Crowley had been driving the car – a Mercedes 300 – in a negligent manner. Mr Barrett’s legal counsel Barrister Ivan Daly, appearing with HJ Ward Solicitors, advised presiding Judge Justice Raymond Groarke that the case had been settled and could be struck out with an order for costs. This was following the case being reduced to an assessment of damages after an admission of liability by the defendants.
During the hearing Mr Barrett alleged that on August 29 2015 he was a front seat passenger in a vehicle when a Mercedes car, emerging from a minor road, crashed into the car he was a passenger in. He told the court that he was of the opinion that the Mercedes in question was being driven at an excessive speed and that the driver had not displayed an acceptable level of awareness regarding his surroundings.
Mr Crowley was not present in the Circuit Civil Court for the hearing which was due to hear Mr Barrett’s testimony in relation to the injuries he suffered and the medical reports produced regarding them.
Mr Barrett advised Justice Groarke that he had been shocked and distressed following the accident. He was taken to the emergency department of St Vincent’s University Hospital where he was treated by Mr Nigel Salter, consultant in emergency medicine. He (Mr Barrett) informed the Judge that he had not sustained any bone or internal injuries. However, he had been prescribed anti-inflammatory and pain-killing medication for injuries to his chest and abdomen.
Mr Barrett, who had a background history of anxiety disorder, had suffered a severe panic attack followed by a number of similar episodes after the accident.