Children get €26k damages over Garda car crash

FOUR children who were passengers in their mother’s car when it was hit by a Garda patrol car have been awarded a total of €26,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court.

Barrister James Kelly said the accident had happened in 2005 but there had been a lengthy dispute on liability which eventually ended up in the High Court and ultimately held in favour of the children’s mother.

Lorraine McEvoy, of Crumlin Park, Crumlin, Dublin, sued the Minister for Finance on behalf of her daughters Megan, 10; Cody, 11, and Lauren, 13; and her son, Dean, 15.

Mr Kelly told Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Matthew Deery, that the children each had suffered soft tissue injuries which had cleared up relatively quickly after the crash on the Tallaght bypass in November 2005.

He said the Garda car had been travelling “at some degree of urgency” but without its warning lights or siren and had forcibly struck Ms McEvoy’s car as she was making a right turn.

Judge Deery approved settlement offers by the minister of €6,000 each for Megan and Lauren, €6,500 for Dean and €7,500 for Cody. A claim for damages by the mother on her own behalf was adjourned.