Pauline Mallon now needs long term care after the road smash three years ago.

Ms Mallon, of Hazelwood Drive, Ballivor, Co Meath took a case to the High Court through her brother Brian Balfe after she suffered serious injuries in the crash on December 19, 2003.

The incident also left her in need of full-time residential care.

Yesterday, Mr Justice Richard Johnson approved the settlement.

The collision happened when Ms Mallon was driving her car near the main Maynooth-Kilcock road in Co Kildare. The car of Thomas Harrington, deceased, and Ms Mallon’s car collided.

The defendant in the case, Eoin Ward, Eagle Star, is the nominated representative for the deceased.

Ms Mallon claimed damages for personal injuries, loss and damage.

She was taken unconscious to hospital and transferred to the intensive care unit after initial tests and treatment. She also sustained multiple limb fractures which left her with devastating speech problems, limitation of movement of the various joints injured and in a state of intense dependency on health carers.

She was transferred to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in July, 2004 and discharged to St Mary’s Hospital later that year.

Ms Mallon’s consultant general surgeon was of the view that her whole life had been totally and permanently altered and described her injuries as devastating. The clinical opinion was Ms Mallon would never be in a position to look after herself, he added.

In another assessment, the report said Ms Mallon was strapped into a wheelchair and communicated via gestures, nodding or hand gestures. Her language was severely impaired and there was an absence of continuity in her responses. She was also doubly incontinent and suffered a poor sleep pattern and high frustration.

Ms Mallon would also require a carer four hours a day and her domestic, social, recreational and working capabilities had all been adversely affected.