Lm22,000 award to girl for traffic injuries

An eight-year-old girl injured in a traffic accident in 1999 has been awarded more than Lm22,000 damages by Mr Justice Ray Pace in the Civil Court.

Paul Bottone and Josephine Mallia filed the writ of summons on behalf of their daughter Manilla Bottone, against the driver of the car, Rita Saliba, and her husband John.

Montaldo Insurance Agency Limited intervened into the suit in 2000.

Plaintiffs claimed their daughter had sustained facial scarring as a result of a collision on April 24, 1999 at Zurrieq.

Rita Saliba had admitted responsibility for the collision and the case continued solely for the purpose of estimating the damages sustained by Manilla Bottone.

The court-appointed medical expert had concluded that the child had sustained an eight per cent permanent disability, for she bore a facial scar.

But a psychiatric assessment also concluded that the child had sustained psychological damage following the accident and the court concluded that the total permanent damage sustained by the child had to be assessed at 25 per cent.

Mr Justice Pace condemned defendants to pay Manilla Bottone Lm22,085.38 damages.