Five Year Battle Results in £1m compensation award for Hit-and-Run Victim

Posted on Jun 30, 2009 
 

A mother is celebrating after a traumatic 5 year legal battle has finally resulted in a £1m compensation payout for her daughter's awful hit-and-run accident. 
 
20 year old Katrina Connolly was seriously injured and left severely disabled when she was hit by a car in 2004 as she was crossing a road in Sale.  
 
Before the accident she was described as "lively and outgoing" but now suffers with memory problems and has reduced mobility. She requires a carer to look after her and undergoes regular rehabilitation sessions.  
 
Even though there were over 30 witnesses to the hit-and-run accident, it was impossible to prove who the driver of the Daimler car actually was.  
 
The owner of the car, Mr Andrew Palma, has now been prosecuted for not having motor insurance and has also been banned from driving for a year and fined £200. The court decided that Mr Palma was responsible for making sure that the car was insured adequately even if he was not driving it at the time of the accident.  
 
Patricia Connolly, Katrina's mother, took the case to the high court in an attempt to win compensation from the Motor Insurer's Bureau who handle compensation payouts in cases where a driver is uninsured or cannot be traced.  
 
After a long and harrowing 5 year battle, the Connolly family have finally won £1 million as a lump sum and an annual payment of £40,000. Mrs Connolly said:  
 
"It means Katrina can get her own flat with carers to help her. She won't have to worry about money and can concentrate on getting her life back on track."  
 
The family's lawyer, Richard Crabtree from Pannone law firm, said:  
 
"While it will never be possible to fully compensate Katrina for her injuries, I hope this settlement enables her to live as independently as possible in the future."  
 
Mr Palma denied driving the daimler that hit Katrina and so, according to the Crown Prosecution Service, could only be charged with driving without insurance. It is still not known who was actually driving the car at the time of the accident.