Woman awarded Lm80,000 for traffic injury

A court yesterday awarded Lm80,000 in damages to a woman injured in a traffic accident in 1996.

Chrissa Minaidou filed her writ for damages against Etienne Azzopardi. She claimed that in October, 1996, she had been run over by Mr Azzopardi at Msida.

She had sustained serious injuries and she requested the court to condemn defendant to pay her damages.

Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo, in the First Hall of the Civil Court, heard that at the time of the accident plaintiff was a university student and that she had wanted to cross the Regional Road to catch a bus.

At that time the normal entrance to the university was closed due to road works and plaintiff, who was accompanied by a friend, had to cross over from the university grounds to cross the road.

Plaintiff and her friend were hit by Mr Azzopardi while they were crossing the road.

The court declared that Mr Azzopardi was driving at such excessive speed that he had left brake marks of over 50 metres. Mr Azzopardi was therefore totally to blame for the accident as he had been driving recklessly in a road with which he was not familiar.

The court also concluded that plaintiff and her friend had taken all necessary precautions to cross the road.

In liquidating the damages the court found that Ms Minaidou had sustained a permanent disability of 16 per cent, and that she was today a teacher with an income of over £22,000, approximately Lm14,440 per annum.

The court therefore concluded its judgment by ordering Mr Azzopardi to pay Ms Minaidou Lm80,749.50 in damages.