New mum's claim settled out of court
A woman who suffered permanent brain damage after being hit by a car while walking with her newborn baby has settled her bid for damages out of court.
Emma De Silva irrecoverably changed when she was hit by Bryce James Wayland in March 2011 while walking her 19-day-old baby in St Peters in Sydney's inner west.
The once A-grade squash player, who had dreams of having more children and becoming principal of the school where she taught, was in a coma for two months after the accident.
She spent a further year at Royal Rehabilitation Hospital in Ryde.
Her marriage has since ended and she has suffered permanent brain injuries.
The 40-year-old launched a bid against the insurance company in the NSW District Court, seeking damages, including the loss of future earnings.
On Tuesday the claim settled out of court with the judge due to give it approval on Wednesday.
It comes two years after the driver Wayland was was sentenced to 50 hours of community service in February 2013 over the crash.
He had told the court the accelerator pedal of his Lexus sedan was caught under the floormat and he swerved to avoid a bus before mounting the kerb and hitting the mother and baby.
Speaking after the sentence was handed down, Ms De Silva's father Keith Freeman said his daughter's life was now "completely different" to the one she had when the accident occurred.
"Emma was at the height of happiness," Mr Freeman said. "She had just had a baby, she had a husband she adored and they had just renovated their house in St Peters and everything was perfect for her ... It lasted exactly 19 days."
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