Left to right, Michelle, Nicola and Michael Cowen, with a picture of Ashleigh

THE parents of a schoolgirl who can only communicate by blinking after suffering severe head injuries in a road accident have spoken of their relief at winning a four-year battle for a payout.

Michelle and Michael Cowen spoke out after telecommunications company BT was ordered to pay £2.2m compensation for the care of their 16-year-old daughter Ashleigh.

Ashleigh was left fighting for her life when she was struck by a BT van after getting off the school bus on May 30, 2002.

The settlement was approved at Newcastle High Court this week - had Ashleigh not been partly to blame for her accident she would have won nearly £5m in damages.

Irwin Mitchell solicitors, who represent the Cowen family, issued proceedings against BT who admitted partial liability on behalf of the driver. The company had initially denied he was to blame for the accident on St Bennet's Way, in Chester-le-Street. Ashleigh was crossing the road with her sister Nicola when she was knocked down. Her sister was unhurt but left traumatised.

After 18 months of operations, physiotherapy and perseverance Ashleigh returned to a specially adapted home in March 2004, but will continue to need specialist care for the rest of her life.

Ashleigh's mother, a former customer service manager, was forced to give up work to care for her. She said: "The judgement has come as such a relief to us. We would give anything to have Ashleigh back the way she was, but we want her to get the best possible care and make sure she will be provided for in the future."

Ashleigh's only means of communicating with her family is through blinking. One piece of equipment they are looking to buy is a computer that would track Ashleigh's eye movements enabling her to communicate in more detail.

Mr Cowen, 47, added: "We just want her to be able to talk to us again. To tell us how she feels, to tell us when she is sad and when she is happy."