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The High Court awarded the plaintiff €65,000 in general damages and €25,000 in agreed special damages and loss of earnings for injuries sustained in a minor rear-end road traffic accident. The court found that, although the plaintiff had pre-existing psychological vulnerability, she was not suffering from psychiatric illness at the time of the accident and developed anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms as a result of it. However, the court also concluded that multiple external factors—including homelessness, relationship breakup, and the COVID-19 pandemic—significantly exacerbated her psychiatric condition, warranting a 50% reduction from the full value of such damages. The claim for ongoing severe injury was assessed as being overstated, but the defendant was nonetheless liable for the reasonably foreseeable consequences of the accident, even where injury severity exceeded typical expectations.
general damages – special damages – road traffic accident – rear-end collision – psychiatric injury – PTSD – anxiety – pre-existing vulnerability – multi-factorial causation – remoteness of damage – eggshell skull rule – Book of Quantum – loss of earnings – assessment of damages – High Court
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