£300,000 damages for teenager hit by bus door in 'bizarre' accident
A teenage pedestrian struck by a bus in west Belfast is to be awarded more than £300,000 in damages, a High Court judge has ruled.
The woman was knocked to the ground in the accident which ended her ambitions to study for a legal career.
Mr Justice Colton said: “These were devastating and life-changing injuries for a young plaintiff.”
The woman, who is not being identified, sued Ulsterbus Ltd over the collision on the Falls Road in August 2018.
Aged 19 at the time, she was walking along the footpath when a rear door on a passing bus opened up, striking and throwing her to the ground.
She sustained a significant spinal cord injury, multiple fractured ribs and spent four months in hospital.
The court heard how she had been set to begin studying law at Ulster University as part of plans to qualify as a solicitor. However, she was never able to take up her place due to the severity of her injuries.
Despite a consultant orthopaedic surgeon praising her remarkable recovery since then, the woman still suffers from a number of medical issues.
Liability was admitted by Ulsterbus in her claim for compensation. Assessing the scale of payout to be made, Mr Justice Colton described it as a “bizarre accident” which impacted on the plaintiff’s education and future employment.
“She had to watch her peers and friends go to university while she laboured to recover from her devastating injuries,” the judge said.
He ruled that the woman should receive £240,000 in damages for physical injuries and a further £75,000 for psychiatric injuries.
With a further award of £1,000 to cover travel costs related to medical appointments, Mr Justice Colton added: “The impact of the accident has resulted in a very different life for her than the one she anticipated.” ends