Andrew Carey
A JUDGE has helped restore a Limerick boy’s faith in Santa.
Such was the trauma suffered by the 11-year-old in a car crash on the way home from visiting Santa four years ago that he didn’t want to pay a return visit the following year as it reminded him too much of the accident.
But a judge sitting at Limerick Circuit Civil Court has said that maybe it was time for him to make new Christmas memories.
On December 17, 2011, the young boy, his father and sister, were travelling home after paying their annual visit to Santa’s Grotto, when they stopped at traffic lights on the Ballysimon Road.
Their jeep was rear-ended by a car, causing them to collide with the car in front and the father was knocked unconscious. The two children suffered back and neck injuries but had fully recovered from their physical injuries within a number of months.
Judge James O’Donohue was told that both children had suffered some residual psychological issues that persisted beyond their physical distress.
At a previous hearing, the young boy’s sister was awarded €10,000 in general damages.
Michael Collins BL said that while the injuries suffered by the young boy were not as serious as those of his sister, they arose out of the same set of circumstances and he had hoped for parity in the awards.
A year after the accident, the young boy said that he didn’t want to go to visit Santa as it reminded him too much of the accident and what happened to his father.
Noting that Mr Collins was accepting the €8,000 in general damages but was not “ecstatic about it”, Judge O’Donohue approved the offer and ordered that €1,000 be paid to the father before Christmas to be spent on the young boy.
“Hopefully this will help make better memories”, he said.
The balance of the award is to be held until the boy turns 18.
