A girl who suffered a catastrophic brain injury when a car collided with her as she walked to school has sued in the High Court.
Counsel for Ashleigh Carroll, Richard Kean SC, told the court she was 14-years-old when the incident happened as she walked to get the bus to school five years ago.
Counsel said it was an extremely violent collision and the teenager landed on her head on the ground and suffered a very significant injury.
Mr Kean added the driver of the car, a doctor from Egypt, later admitted reckless driving going through a red light, driving at speed and driving in a bus lane.
The incident occurred near Oscar Traynor Road, Coolock, Dublin on October 20th, 2016.
Before the collision, Counsel said the young girl was thriving at school and was academically inclined, hoping to study forensic anthropology in Harvard along with medicine. He added that she was in second year at secondary school and was also studying Japanese.
Liability
Now 19-years-old, Ms Carroll, from Glasnevin, Dublin has through her mother, Louise Carroll, sued the driver of the car, Shereen El Mashad, whom the court heard has since returned to Egypt.
It is claimed Ashleigh was lawfully traversing a public footpath near Oscar Traynor Road, and was in the process of crossing a roadway when the vehicle driven by the doctor, and in particular the wing mirror, collided with the teenager causing her to spin, fall to the ground and hit her head.
Opening the case Richard Kean SC, instructed by Keira O’Reilly solicitor, told the court liability has been admitted in the case which is before the court for assessment of damages only.
Ashleigh was discharged from hospital on November 16th, 2016 and counsel said she was not able to read or feed herself.
She did return to school, but experts say she has cognitive difficulties from the acquired brain injury and will never work.
Counsel said one of his experts will say Ashleigh suffered a life-altering traumatic brain injury, adding that the claim includes a significant sum for care as she gets older and future loss of earnings.
He said Ashleigh has no recollection of the accident.
The case, which is before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds, continues on Thursday.
