RTE TV star awarded €72,000 damages for car crash injuries

Jarren · 31-10-2009 10:17am #1

So I came across this article this morning

AN RTE actress and former Irish champion dancer yesterday secured damages of €71,993 for injuries she suffered after a car crash more than five years ago.

Charlene Gleeson (26) -- one of the stars of the RTE 2 show 'Steve and Sarah' -- claimed that, due to the pain in her back, she was unable to dance at the same professional level as before the accident.

She sued Kamal Bounovana, with an address in Coventry, England, and Johnson & Perrott Ltd, trading as Avis Rent a Car, on the basis that she had suffered soft-tissue injuries to her neck, lower back and hip after the accident near the M1/M50 interchange in Dublin on August 17, 2005.

Liability was admitted by the defendants. The case was before the court for assessment of damages only.

Awarding her €71,993, Mr Justice Daniel Herbert described Ms Gleeson as a "remarkable talent". The accident occurred when the car driven by Mr Bounovana collided into the rear of a car in which Ms Gleeson, of Raheen Road, Tallaght, was a passenger.

She told the court that, as a result, the car she was in had been driven forward into the vehicle in front of it. She had got out of the car immediately because she was afraid that it would go on fire. She had suffered pain and discomfort to her neck and lower back and had problems sleeping.

The court heard that she continued to have pain in lower back, which restricted her ability to carry out her normal work activity.

She had attended physiotherapy, acupuncture and an endorphin-release clinic for treatment.

She had been prescribed painkillers but, she told the court, she was against taking them. However, she then had to get painkillers from her doctor after the pain was aggravated when she was shooting a fight scene with actor and former Welsh footballer Vinnie Jones for the film 'Legend of the Bog', in which she had to take a tumble.

As a result of the accident she was unable to take up a part in the RTE series 'Love is the Drug'.

She said she was no longer able to do all the training associated with dancing. She could do about one hour of dancing a day.

She had been dancing since she was six years old, the court heard. She had been an All-Ireland and a European Champion in Ballroom and Latin American dancing.

In 2000 she had represented Ireland in world championships and finished sixth.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rte-tv-star-awarded-836472000-damages-for-car-crash-injuries-1929966.html

and then after reading I came with those questions.

The car company was sued for the car crash..YES..This is the law..What about the people who break their legs on a footpath.Should they also be suing the company that laid the surface?what about the kids cycling and falling down on their bikes.
Who are you suing ...? The manufacturer of the bicycle,or the the shop where
the bike was bought from?What about couple of lads having the soccer night
in a local astro park.If one of them has an accident like(broken nose,twisted ankle,broken leg)Who will you be suing? The company that laid the astro surface,or the Astro park?and the most relevant example.Renting a bike in Dublin and someone else crashes into the bike.Who is to blame?I dont think renting a bike company is here at fault..The list of those examples is endless....

Ps.. I hope that the woman in question was awarded fair amount of mone by the judge from the defendant and his insurance company.Having said I have a private health insurance for the last years.Over that period I sustained different type of injuries(twisted ankle,bruised rib,wrist fracture etc)by the second party....and I never sued anyone..Imagine the face of my martial arts coach if I told him that he broke my nose..I could see him a mile away ... laughing.

Back to original question

Who is really guilty there?
The driver of the car,car company ,manufacturer of the car,the weather?

Any views on that?

Ps Take it easy on me..it's my first time posting in AH:o