Daniel Hennessy awarded record breaking damages pay-out after being paralysed in a hit and run when he was five-years-old

Daniel Hennessy, 17, has won a record £3.8m damages pay-out after he was left paralysed by a hit-and-run driver when he was five-years-old.

Daniel was hit by a car being driven by Sajid Hussain, then 16, as he walked home from a sweet shop in Rochdale in August 2002. He was crossing Belfield Road at the time of the accident.

Due to the accident, he was left tetraplegic – paralysed from the neck down, and confined to a wheelchair.

Hussain, who wasn’t insured, was later convicted of failing to stop and failing to report an accident.

Lawyers for the Hennessy family claimed damages from the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) – the industry body which compensates victims of uninsured drivers.

An award of £3.8m was agreed by the MIB on Friday (23 January) at the High Court in London on the basis of 60% liability. It is understood that on a full liability basis, the settlement would have been worth more than £6m.

Daniel, who has since moved to live in Dublin with his mum Debbie spoke outside of the court and spoke of his determination to live life to the full.

The court heard that £50,000 of the pay-out will go to Debbie as compensation for ‘the years of selfless care’ she has bestowed on her son. Since her son’s accident, she has devoted her life to caring for him.

It is understood that the pay-out received is the equivalent of seven million Euros, which is a record award for Ireland in a spinal injury case. The settlement represents a long legal fight for compensation by the family.

Daniel will shortly turn 18 but the money will be managed for him by trustees in Ireland to ensure he receives support for life.

The settlement was approved by Mr Justice Warby.

Hussain, then living on Stamford Street, Rochdale went on to be convicted of two further driving offences.

In one offence, five months after the collision involving Daniel, he knocked down a lollipop lady in another hit-and-run and was jailed.

He was described as a “menace” and a “danger to the public” in court.

http://rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/47844/possible-multi-million-pound-compensation-for-hit-and-run-victim