A young man who was injured in a traffic accident when he was 14 years old has been awarded €47,600 in damages by Mr Justice Anthony Ellul in the First Hall of the Civil Court.

Jean Marc Zammit told the court that he was involved in a traffic accident in 2008 when he was a passenger in a car driven by John Agius. Mr Agius lost his life in the accident and Mr Zammit claimed to have suffered a permanent disability.

Middle Sea Insurance plc accepted responsibility to pay damages to Mr Zammit but claimed that the latter's expectations of payment were exaggerated and did not reflect the injuries he had sustained.

The court heard that Mr Zammit was suffering from narcolepsy and cataplexy and had also suffered facial scarring. This led the court to assess the permanent disability suffered at the rate of eight per cent.

Mr Zammit told the court that he was studying international business and that he expected to earn EUR45,000 per annum when he completed his studies and found a job. But the court said that there was no certainty that Mr Zammit would earn this sum of money over the estimated 35 year period of his working life.

A salary of €45,000 was very high by Maltese standards and in the circumstances the court ruled that a prospective salary of €20,000 per annum was more realistic.

The court awarded Mr Zammit €47,600 in damages.