Almost three years after he was paralysed in an accident that claimed the lives of three other people, Sea Lots resident Ryan Rampersad has been awarded $800,000 in damages by the driver’s insurance company.
Rampersad, a father of two, was seriously injured in the accident on February 24, 2013 when off-duty police constable, Sherwyn Legere, slammed into a group of Sea Lots residents as they were standing on the pavement along the Beetham Highway.
Three members of the group—Haydee Paul and her two young daughters, Shakira, seven and Akasha, eight—died.
Rampersad spent months at hospital and remains paralysed from the waist down.
In an out-of-court agreement, through his attorney Ravi Pheerangee, Rampersad accepted an offer by Motor One Insurance Company Limited for $800,000 in damages and $125,000 in legal costs.
Yesterday Rampersad came to the San Fernando High Court in his wheelchair for the official order to be entered before Master Patricia Sobian-Awai. However, he left immediately after the order was made.
He is still pursuing action against Legere who is charged with causing the deaths of Paul and her daughters. He is out on $250,000 bail on that matter.
According to the High Court order, Rampersad was already paid $50,000 by Motor One as an interim payment.
He will be paid the balance in two increments at specific dates before the end of the year.
The legal costs will also be paid in two parts.
The claim
A claim was made on Rampersad’s behalf by his attorney on September 4, 2014 against Motor One and Legere.
The claim stated that Rampersad was seeking damages for “personal injuries sustained together with consequential loss and damage suffered as a pedestrian as a result of negligence of the defendant (Legere) in the driving, management and/or control of motor vehicle registration PCT 3096, along the Beetham Highway, Sea Lots.”
In the statement of case Rampersad’s attorney cited negligence on Legere’s part, stating the particulars of the negligence as “driving too fast, driving without due care and attention, failing to keep any or any proper lookout or to have sufficient regard for pedestrians and/or other road users that was or might reasonably be expected to be at the said road.”
The statement continued: “Failing to have or to keep any or any proper control of motor vehicle PCT 3096, failing to give any or any sufficient or timely warning of his approach.”
In the particulars of injuries, the document stated Rampersad received the following injuries: “Diffuse axonal injury (head injury), paroxysmal autonomic instability with dystonia (PAID), Ectopic ossification-with contractures, fractured mandible (healed) and permanent partial disability assessed at 60 per cent.”