Crash forced girl to change schools

A 10-YEAR-OLD girl had to change school following a car accident because it was so close to where she and her mum had been involved in the crash.

Barrister Nathan Jones told the Circuit Civil Court that each time Charmaine Fitzgerald would pass her old school she would visualise the crash in which she thought her mother had died.

Charmaine, who is now 14, was awarded €21,000 damages for psychological and physical injuries she suffered in the accident on March 19, 2007.

Her mother, Lisa Fitzgerald of Grange View Road, Clondalkin, Co Dublin, told Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Matthew Deery, that she and her daughter had been sitting in the family car parked along the Coldcut Road, in Clondalkin.

She said her car had been rear ended by the defendant Paul Mullins, The Covert, Woodfarm Acres, Palmerstown, Dublin, and had been spun around a number of times.

“I exited the vehicle and lost consciousness,” Ms Fitzgerald said. “As a result Charmaine saw me lying on the ground and thought I was dead.”

Mr Jones told the court Charmaine had run from her mother’s car and had fallen over on a number of occasions. She had been taken to the emergency department of the Adelaide and Meath Hospital where it was discovered she had struck her head against somethingt.

She had been discharged with “head injury advice” but afterwards had developed pain in soft tissue injuries to her neck and back. For a number of weeks Charmaine had suffered from nightmares and headaches.

Mr Jones said because Charmaine’s school was so close to the scene of the accident she would visualise the crash each time she was driven near the scene.

Judge Deery approved acceptance of what he described as a good settlement offer and directed payment into court funds.