Woman who lost her leg in holiday crash must go through Greek law to get compensation

A woman from the Vale of Glamorgan who was seriously injured when she was hit by a car while on holiday must have her compensation determined by Greek law, the Supreme Court has ruled.

Tiffany Moreno, from Barry, had her right leg amputated below the knee after being hit by an uninsured driver on the Greek island of Zakynthos in May 2011. The body that compensates victims of uninsured drivers, the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), has admitted liability but argued that damages should be calculated according to the laws of the country where the accident happened.

Five Supreme Court justices sitting at the High Court heard Ms Moreno was walking along the verge of a road on the holiday island when she was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Kristina Beqiri, who had neither a valid driving licence nor insurance. Beqiri admitted responsibility for the accident.

The MIB is handling Ms Moreno's claim on behalf of its Greek counterpart, the Greek Guarantee Fund. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the MIB stating that a victim's entitlement to damages must be measured by reference to the law of the state in which the accident occurred.

Lord Mance, who led the judgement, pointed out that other UK drivers who had similar accidents involving uninsured drivers in other EU countries could fare better than they would under English law.