A young Donegal girl who suffered post traumatic stress disorder following a road traffic collision has been awarded €15,000.
The award was approved by Judge John Aylmer at Buncrana Circuit Court.
Ms Patricia McCallum BL, for the plaintiff and instructed by McGinley Solicitors, said the girl was four years old when she was involved in a road traffic collision in 2019.
The car, which was being driven by her mother at the time, was rear-ended as it was making a right turn.
Two medical reports were referred to in court.
One doctor assessed the girl in 2020 and diagnosed her as having suffered post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The girl was described as being “very shocked” following the incident. She avoided conversations about the collision, but asked her mother if she “remembered the man who drove into us”.
She refused to sit in the rear passenger seat, where she was sitting at the time of the impact, and developed a fear of going to bed. Her sleep was disrupted and she endured nightmares “a few times a week”.
She was said to have become more clingy and irritable and was prone to outbursts and aggressive behaviour following the incident.
The girl also developed bed-wetting, but these issues had resolved by the time of assessment.
The court was told that the girl did not receive treatment for these matters. “Simply, mum provided reassurance at home,” Ms McCallum told the court.
Another doctor, who assessed her in 2022, diagnosed the girl as having acute stress reaction and anxiety disorder.
The girl was said at the time to have had no current adverse inter-personal effects and her mental health at the time of assessment was normal.
A substantial recovery took place within 12 months of the collision, the court heard.
Ms McCallum told the court that the matter was placed in the top bracket of the minor end of such incidents.
Judge Aylmer said the offer of €15,000 was adequate and approved it.