A landmark ruling by the Supreme Court, which was made public yesterday, means that the unmarried partners of people killed in car crashes can be considered members of the family and are entitled to compensation.

The court issued its decision after hearing the case of the partner of a 51-year-old man who was killed in an accident after the couple had had a baby together.

In its ruling, the court said that it accepted that the man’s partner “was tied by love and respect to her partner” and suffered as a result of his sudden death “deep pain and intense distress and as such deserves adequate financial compensation.”

The court awarded the woman 15,000 euros. It is the first time that a person who is not an immediate relative of someone who has died suddenly has been awarded damages for the loss of their loved one.

In their ruling, the judges also called for laws governing cohabitation to be introduced. The Justice Ministry has already said it is working on such regulations.