Cork woman awarded €218,000 after suffering injuries when car was rear-ended

Ann O'Loughlin

A Cork woman who suffered various injuries when her car was rear-ended on a roundabout six years ago has been awarded at least €218,000 by the High Court.

Colette Sheehan (54), of Drimoleague, suffered the injuries when her car was struck by another driver at Shannon Park roundabout – between Monkstown and Carrigaline, Co Cork – on November 27th, 2020. Sheehan, a civil servant, subsequently sued the driver for damages.

When the case came before Judge Conor Dignam, it was for an assessment of damages only. The judge heard evidence from Sheehan and various medical witnesses.

In a judgment published this week, Dignam awarded Sheehan €130,000 in general damages and a further €88,164 for lost earnings and other special damages. The judge asked the parties to agree on a figure to compensate Sheehan for future loss of earnings and pension payments.

The judge accepted that Sheehan suffered post-concussion syndrome as a result of the accident. This condition contributed most to the adverse impact on Sheehan’s life and career, the judge found.

Arising from this are symptoms of fatigue, photophobia, phonophobia, tingling and tightness in the scalp, head pain, poor concentration, stress, and irritability, the judge noted.

The judge noted that Sheehan was off work for a year post-collision, and since then, has been unable to return to work full-time due to these symptoms.

He said the symptoms have also interfered with her life outside of work, impacting her socialising and sporting activities.

The trauma of the collision also caused the abrupt onset of menopause in Sheehan, the judge said.

The judge said he accepted that Sheehan suffered whiplash injuries to her spine, and injury to her knee.

The judge found that she also suffered anxiety and depression after the accident, but noted that she had suffered with elements of this before the accident.