€82,000 award for man left unable to playgolf
A MAN who is unable to play golf and suffered post traumatic stress disorder after a car accident has been awarded a total of €82,000 by the High Court.
Taxi driver Patrick Murphy was unable to return to golf after the crash four years ago because of his inability to swing the golf club, Mr Justice Bernard Barton said.
The judge accepted the medical evidence on behalf of Mr Murphy that as a result of the accident, where a van turned right and collided with his taxi, that his arthritis was rendered symptomatic and he now has a severe and painful condition in his elbows.
Mr Murphy (62), Cranfield Place, Sandymount, Dublin, sued Malone Engineering Services Ltd, Ballycoolin, Dublin, owners of the van which crashed in to him, and the driver, Francis Cleary, an employee of the company.
He had claimed that on March 29, 2014 he was driving his taxi on the James Larkin Road, Dublin, travelling past the junction with the Howth Road, when without warning the van made a right hand turn and collided with the front of his car.
Liability was admitted in the case and it was before the court for assessment of damages only.
Mr Murphy claimed he suffered shock, fright and distress and had pain in his neck, lower back and both arms. He also experienced flashbacks and nightmares afterwards.
Mr Justice Bernard Barton said Mr Murphy was a truthful witness. It was a measure of the man that when he had to get a taxi home after the accident, as both vehicles were written off, he gave a lift to the driver of the van.
The judge said Mr Murphy wanted to get back to work but found he could not work nights after the accident.
The fact that he could not return to golf, the judge said, was a particular disappointment to Mr Murphy. Neither could he return to his DIY hobby.
The judge accepted the evidence that Mr Murphy suffered post traumatic stress disorder from which he has now largely recovered.