Supreme Court orders retrial for 1995 traffic accident lawsuit

The Supreme Court of Cyprus has ordered the retrial of a lawsuit regarding a 1995 traffic accident that left Herodotus Constantinou a quadriplegic and unable to speak. The incident occurred on February 15, 1995, on Morphou Avenue in the Archangelos area of Nicosia, when the victim was struck by a vehicle while crossing the road. An initial lawsuit against the driver was dismissed, and a subsequent appeal was rejected in 2007. In 2008, the victim's wife filed a new lawsuit against the Attorney General and the Municipality of Lakatamia, alleging that they failed to install adequate lighting or a pedestrian crossing despite police warnings. A lower court previously rejected this lawsuit as an abuse of process. The Supreme Court overturned this decision, ruling that the case must be examined on its merits. The court clarified that it has not yet determined any liability on the part of the state or the municipality. The case is now set to proceed for a substantive hearing to evaluate the evidence provided.