Personal injury news

Coach crash teacher wins personal injury compensation

A teacher who was left in agonising pain following an accident on a school trip has publicly thanked her colleagues and legal team after a personal injury compensation claim netted her a six-figure sum.

Lucinda Rooney, head of technology at St Albans RC High School, claimed that chronic pain syndrome ruined her life following a coach crash while on the school trip in September 2001.

She was due to appear in court to pursue her accident claim against the coach operators, Cedric Garages Ltd, in October this year, but an out-of-court offer was made and the 47-year-old decided to accept.

Speaking to the media following news of the personal injury compensation settlement, Ms Rooney said, "I am pleased that Cedric Coaches have accepted liability for the coach accident and my subsequent injuries.

"I now look forward to moving on with my life, putting the crash and court case behind me and applying my future energies to my family, the youngsters I teach and the job I love."

54 teenagers and four members of staff were travelling in the coach when the incident occurred on the A1066. The vehicle ploughed into a roundabout, mounted the verge and finally came to rest after smashing into a fence. Ms Rooney was thrown from her seat and suffered head injuries, forcing her to spend three days in hospital. Even now she suffers headaches and blurred vision as a result of the vehicle accident.

The exact figure of Ms Rooney's personal injury compensation has not been revealed.