€1.1m settlement for boy injured in crash

A SETTLEMENT of €1.1 million for a 16-year-old boy who was injured in a road traffic accident when he was three weeks old was yesterday approved by the High Court.

Luke Murphy of Carrownakilly, Newmarket On Fergus, Co Clare, had sued through his mother Joanne as a result of the accident on St Patrick’s Day 1990 near Knockahunna on the Toomevara to Nenagh road in Co Tipperary, when a tractor and trailer collided with the car in which Luke was a passenger.

The Murphys had sued the tractor driver, Thomas Mounsey of Upper Clashnevin, Nenagh, Co Tipperary. Baby Luke was in his mother’s arms in the back seat directly behind the driver at the time of the accident.

Luke, who was born on February 24, 1990, suffered an extensive fracture of his skull and, it was claimed, is at risk for the development of post-traumatic epilepsy.

It was claimed he has a loss of some vision on the right side of both eyes and the visual defect causes him a certain amount of clumsiness and problems bumping into objects.

He also has difficulty reading and spelling.