Posted: April 7th, 2014
A court has approved a settlement of injury compensation for a scooter accident on a Dublin City path in favour of a young girl who suffered a serious arm injury in a fall from her bike.
On May 31st 2007, Charlotte Clapperton was aged just nine years of age and was riding her electric scooter along Tyrconnell Road in Inchicore, Dublin, when she hit a raised section of the footpath. Charlotte fell from her bike and landed heavily on her left elbow.
Charlotte had to undergo two operations on the elbow to repair a broken bone and has a 10cm scar as a reminder of the injury. Whereas before her accident Charlotte was a keen gymnast and Irish dancer, she can no longer partake in these activities, and she has still not regained full flexibility of her elbow.
Through her mother – Collette Clapperton of Bluebell in Dublin – Charlotte claimed injury compensation for a scooter accident on a Dublin City path, on the grounds that the path was in a poor condition because the roots of nearby trees (which were Dublin City Council´s responsibility to maintain) had grown up through the paving slabs on the footpath.
Dublin City Council acknowledged that the footpath was in such a state to render it a hazard, and a settlement of injury compensation for a scooter accident amounting to €125,000 was agreed. However, before Charlotte´s claim for scooter accident compensation could be closed, the settlement first had to be approved by a judge as the claim was made on a child´s behalf.
Consequently, the circumstances of Charlotte´s accident and injury were heard by Ms Justice Mary Irvine at the High Court; who, after inspecting the scar on Charlotte´s arm, approved the settlement and awarded the Clapperton family the costs of their action.
Categories: Pedestrian Accidents
