Judge awards ‘tough, strong’ garda €31,000 over crash injuries

A Garda and former Limerick hurler has been awarded€31,000 damages as a result of injuries sustained when his patrol car was rammed seven years ago.

Garda Nigel Carey (46), of Croom, Co Limerick, was hurt when the patrol car was rammed in October 2010 by a Mercedes car which had "boxed off" following a high-speed chase.

Mr Justice Bernard Barton praised Garda Carey's dedictation during the High Court Garda Compensation hearing after being told he had taken only three days off work following the incident.

The garda went to his GP once about his neck, shoulder and lower back injuries and followed his advice to treat them by way of physiotherapy.

Garda Carey told the court that the patrol car in which he had been observer on the night had been “sent flying” by the force of the impact and was so badly damaged it had to be written off.

‘Rough and tumble’

He said his neck, right shoulder and lower back had been hurt in the incident “but I was well used to the old rough and tumble so it wasn’t too bad.” He said his shoulder was still restricted but it did not impede him too much.

The judge said “the best medical report supporting Garda Carey’s claim for compensation” came from An Garda Síochána’s chief medical officer who had examined him on behalf of the Minister for Public Expenditure.

Mr Justice Barton said it was to Garda Carey’s credit that he had not made an issue of his back injury which, he had told the court, quickly cleared up.

“He is a tough, strong man who was at in the optimum physical fitness category at the time and had been well used to the rough and tumble of hurling,” Judge Barton said. “His injuries to his neck and shoulder were in the moderate range and he had not attempted to make them out as disabling.”

He said Garda Carey had freely admitted that his hurling career was coming to a close at the time and his only claim now was that he still had a tightness in his right shoulder.