Settlement over €17,000 for child injured in road traffic accident

McGrath McGrane LLP was instructed by the mother of a child who suffered personal injuries when the car in which the child was travelling, was hit from behind by another motor vehicle.

We initiated a personal injuries claim on behalf of the child. The insurance company of the third-party vehicle consented to the claim being assessed by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB).

While the claim was in PIAB, we entered into discussions with the insurance company and subsequently arranged a settlement meeting at the Four Courts.

We negotiated with the insurance company’s claims handler and reached a settlement in excess of €17,000 in respect of the injury claim, subject to the Ruling of the Court.

As the settlement was on behalf of a child, i.e. a person under the age of 18, the settlement has to be ruled by the Court, to ensure that the interests of the child are being properly protected. We applied to the Court to have the settlement ruled and our application was successful.

By meeting with the insurance company and negotiating the settlement, it meant that the claim was finalised quicker as the client did not have to wait for the claim to go through the PIAB framework and for PIAB to issue its assessment. It also meant that the child’s mother had a say in relation to the settlement figure, whereas with a PIAB assessment, the figure cannot be changed, it is either accepted or rejected.