A young Donegal boy who suffered ‘travel anxiety’ following a car crash has been awarded €8,000.
The award was approved at Letterkenny District Court, where the boy was accompanied by his parents.
The court heard that the boy was eight years old when he was a passenger in the vehicle that crashed. The car was being driven by his mother at the time.
Solicitor Mr Ciaran Haran told the court that the boy’s injuries were ‘of a psychological nature’.
A medical report, which was prepared in August 2022, four months after the collision, showed that the boy suffered psychological trauma, poor sleep and a fear of entering a car after the incident.
The boy has since made a full recovery.
Sleep disturbance settled after around six months while he had a pain in his chest, caused by the impact of a safety belt, for one month after the crash.
A further medical report in May 2023, when the boy was aged nine, confirmed that he suffered from post traumatic stress and sleep disturbance.
Barrister Mr Gareth McGrory told the court that the travel anxiety persisted for a period, but the boy has since recovered
Mr McGrory said it was his opinion that the offer was ‘very reasonable’.
Judge Éiteáin Cunningham approved the offer of €8,000.