A WOMAN who fell on her way into a parish hall to vote in a referendum has lost her High Court action for damages over the incident.

Anne Cassidy (68), Crickstown, Ratoath, Co Meath, sued Fr Philip Gaffney, the parish priest of Curraha, Ashbourne, Co Meath; Mary O’Malley, returning officer for East Meath in the referendum; and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government as the owner/occupier of the hall on the day of the accident.

The High Court was told Mrs Cassidy, a housewife, went with her husband Patrick to Curraha parochial hall on October 2nd, 2009, to vote in the second Lisbon referendum.

At the entrance door, she tripped and fell when her toe caught on a raised weather strip at the step into the hall, the court heard.

Mrs Cassidy claimed she suffered injuries and the defendants were negligent in … Read More »

A man who was punched in the head while a serving garda as he released a man from a Garda station was awarded more than €300,000 in damages by the High Court yesterday.

Ms Justice Mary Irvine said James Lynn, who was stationed at Castlebar station but has since been discharged from the Garda due to ill-health, had lost the career he fought so hard to get into.

As a result, Mr Lynn had lost his status in society and his injuries affected him every day, she said. The case was brought under the Garda Compensation Act by Mr Lynn who had been attached to Castlebar station at the time of the assault on June 23rd, 2001.

The court heard Mr Lynn released a prisoner from holding cells who then went to the day room. Mr Lynn later escorted him to the foyer.

As … Read More »

A COUNCIL worker who had to give up deep sea fishing and playing the bagpipes after he tripped over an electrical cable while walking on a footpath carrying a ladder is to get some €257,000 damages following a High Court ruling yesterday.

Ms Justice Mary Irvine reduced the total €342,799 award by one-quarter to just over €257,000 after finding there was contributory negligence to that extent on the part of Liam Murray.

Mr Murray (55), Cleggan Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, had sued the ESB as a result of the accident at Beach Road, Sandymount, Dublin, on August 17th, 2009.

He claimed he was walking along the road when he fell on electrical cabling emerging from under the path at the base of a street lamp. He claimed the ESB was negligent in allowing electrical cable to be on the pathway.

As a result of injuries … Read More »

A €4.25 million settlement has been approved by the High Court for a boy who is paraplegic as a result of devastating injuries suffered by him six years ago, when a car driven by his mother was involved in a head-on collision with a truck.

Seán McCullagh, now 10, was a back-seat passenger in a belted-in booster seat in the car at the time of the crash, which occurred on Ballycoolin Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin, in February 2006 when his mother swerved to avoid a pothole. He suffered catastrophic injuries.

Mr Justice Gerard Hogan in the High Court heard that the truck driver was exonerated of any blame in the matter.

Seán, through his father Rory, Summerfield Avenue, Blanchardstown, had brought proceedings against his mother as the insured driver of the car.

Liability was accepted and the case was before Mr Justice Hogan for assessment … Read More »