A SETTLEMENT of almost £2 million was this week approved for a young Wirral woman seriously injured by a speeding car.

Leisha Peters was only 14 when the tragic road accident happened while she was at a bus stop with friends in Mill Road, Irby.

The car hit Leisha at the bus stop and she was rushed to hospital where it was found she had brain stem injuries. She has been left quadraplegic and confined to a wheelchair.

The £1.95 million out-of-court settlement - one of the largest ever - was approved at Liverpool High Court by Mr Justice Morland. Miss Peters, now 23, was present in court and the judge wished her well .

Her barrister, Mr Iain Goldrein, QC, told the court that the accident happened on October 14, 1988. The driver of the speeding car, Paul Groves, was uninsured and the case has been settled with the Motor Insurance Bureau.

After the hearing her solicitor, Kingsley Hayes of Liverpool firm Silverbeck Rymer, said that he believed her strength of character helped her recovery.

"Leisha is a remarkable young lady who has shown tremendous courage and fortitude in coming to terms with the terrible injuries she received in this tragic accident."

Mr Hayes said that while it was a sizeable award, Leisha needs round-the-clock care to maintain her health and assist her independence and spontaneity of lifestyle, which most able-bodied people take for granted.

Since the terrible accident Leisha, an only child, has left her family home in Irby and moved to a bungalow nearby in Heswall where she has a team of carers.

She is studying computers at college and has a circle of friends with whom she goes out, said Mr Hayes. Although her injuries mean she is unable to speak, she can successfully communicate by mouthing words.

"She has a mind of her own and knows what she wants," he said, adding that she plans to buy a specially adapted vehicle so that she can be taken out more.

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