Un ancien combattant de MMA a reçu 56 000 € pour perte de revenus et blessures après que le véhicule de la Garda s'est écrasé sur sa voiture

A former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter has been awarded €56,000 in damages after a Garda patrol vehicle collided with his car on Long Mile Road, Dublin, five years ago. The judgment was delivered by Judge Sinéad Ní Chulacháin in the Circuit Civil Court. The compensation includes €44,000 for a lost US fight purse and an additional €12,000 for neck and head injuries sustained during the collision. The incident occurred on April 9, 2016, when a Garda pursuit vehicle passed through a series of red lights on Long Mile Road to chase a motorist who had run a stop sign. The collision resulted in serious injuries to Charlie Ward, a 45-year-old resident of Acragar, Mountmellick, County Laois. Ward had filed a lawsuit against the Garda Commissioner seeking €60,000 in damages, citing financial losses and physical harm caused by the crash. Ward’s legal team, represented by barristers Conor Kearney and Aisling Woods of Michael Kelleher Solicitors, argued that the accident led to a loss of approximately $50,000 in potential earnings. They noted that Ward had withdrawn from a contract to compete in the United States shortly after the incident, resulting in significant financial setbacks. According to Kearney, Ward had won only one fight and lost three following the crash before retiring from professional combat sports several years ago. Judge Ní Chulacháin acknowledged the Garda Commissioner's admission of liability but applied a reduction in damages due to contributory negligence. This was based on Ward’s admission during cross-examination that he had been illegally driving in a bus lane prior to the collision. The judge ruled that this contributed to the accident and thus reduced the total compensation awarded. Ward testified that his ability to compete at the elite level was severely impacted by the injuries sustained in the crash. He described himself as once ranked in the top 10 in the world at his fighting weight. His performance declined significantly after the incident, making it impossible for him to return to his previous level of competition. In defense, Barrister Fred Gilligan, representing the Garda Commissioner, argued that the collision would likely not have occurred if Ward had not been violating traffic rules by driving in the bus lane. During cross-examination, Ward confirmed that he should not have been in the bus lane at the time of the accident. Leading Irish MMA trainer John Kavanagh, who trained Ward at his Long Mile Road gym in Dublin, provided expert testimony regarding the long-term impact of the injuries. Kavanagh estimated that, had the accident not occurred, Ward could have earned up to $500,000 over time. He emphasized that Ward was unable to train or perform at the same level post-accident. The case also included a tragic subplot involving Ward’s victory over Portuguese MMA fighter Joao Carvalho in a Dublin contest on April 9, 2016. Carvalho, who was knocked out by a technical decision, later died in Beaumont Hospital two days later following emergency brain surgery. This event underscored the severity of the circumstances surrounding Ward’s injury and the broader implications of the accident.