A settlement of hit and run injury compensation has been approved at the High Court in favour of a woman who was hit by a drunk driver when she was a twenty-one year old student.
Laura Byrne (now 26 years of age) was a veterinary student living in New Ross in County Wexford when – on June 20th 2009 – she was hit by a car driven by Karol Chrzan while talking to friends in the street.
As the car hit Laura, she was thrown into the air and landed on the bonnet of the vehicle, cracking her head against the car windscreen. She was taken to Waterford Regional Hospital and later transferred to Cork for specialist treatment of her injuries.
As a result of the accident Laura had to abandon the veterinary course she was studying at college due to ongoing problems with her balance and attacks of double-vision. She still suffers from her left arm being weaker than her right arm.
Chrzan panicked and drove off from the scene of the accident. He was later arrested by police, when he admitted to drinking six beers and some vodka before getting into his partner´s car, for which he was not insured.
He was charged with injuring Laura in the hit and run accident and sentenced to three years imprisonment for dangerous driving causing serious harm. He was also banned from driving for six years.
Laura made a claim for hit and run injury compensation against the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) – the organisation that settles claims against uninsured drivers – and a €1.2 million settlement of Laura´s claim was negotiated to account for her injuries and lost opportunities.
At the High Court in Dublin, Ms Justice Mary Irvine approved the settlement of hit and run injury compensation – commenting that it was a very good one in the circumstances, and that although no amount of money could make up for the trauma Laura had suffered, the judge hoped that the extra money would make life better for her.