Bus driver ordered to compensate girl he injured at traffic lights

George Desira, who had been driving his Bedford bus at the time, had admitted that he had not noticed that the lights had changed when he had collided with the Toyota

A bus driver, who injured a girl when he rammed her mother's car with his bus, after failing to notice that she had stopped at traffic lights, has been ordered to pay her €2,857 by way of compensation.

Raisa Gauci had filed civil proceedings after the accident, which took place early in the afternoon of the 7 April 2008, in Sir Paul Boffa Avenue in Paola. Gauci, at the time an 18-year old student, had been a passenger in her mother's Toyota that had been waiting at a red light on a pedestrian crossing.

George Desira, who had been driving his Bedford bus at the time, had admitted that he had not noticed that the lights had changed when he had collided with the Toyota with such force that it came to rest against a pavement, 10 metres away.

Gauci had been taken to hospital in considerable pain and, although no fractures were found, she had been bedridden for several days, unable to move.

Desira's insurer had paid for the damage to the Toyota, however the two parties failed to reach an amicable settlement on the amount of compensation to be paid to Gauci. The case was taken to court in 2009.

The girl's doctor had concluded that she had suffered a 7% permanent disability, but a court-appointed expert had only adjudged her degree of permanent disability at 1% .

Mr. Justice Joseph R. Micallef, in holding Desira responsible for the accident, condemned the bus driver to pay the girl €2,857 in compensation.