It has taken nine no doubt heart-searching years, but the parents of 20-year-old Ruben Gois, killed in a road accident in Albufeira almost a decade ago, have finally won closure.
Their disputed claim to the FGA - the fund that covers traffic accidents when there is no valid insurance cover or when there is no-one found to blame - has been upheld by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice which ruled that €120,000 in damages should be paid.
Ruben was killed in November 2006 when he was riding his motorcycle along the EN395.
Whoever drove into him did not stop to help the young man, or call for assistance.
Police investigating concluded that the driver was in a B2500 pick-up, but no-one was ever identified, and Ruben’s parents decided to make their bid for compensation, including damages for the suffering of their son, and the “value of life”.
National tabloid Correio da Manhã explains that the parents were originally awarded €112,000 in an earlier suit which the FGA (standing for Fundo de Garantia Automóvel) appealed.
Évora appeal court then raised the damages to €120,000, which again the FGA contested until this latest decision.
Article courtesy of the Portugal Resident http://portugalresident.com/
