Injury Compensation News

A teenage girl, who has represented Ireland playing International Ladies Soccer, has been awarded 10,000 Euros damages for injuries inflicted on her by a shop security man.
Kirsty Hogan (14) of Dublin, was passing the entrance of the Spar Shop in Cumberland Road, Dublin, in October 2008 when the assault happened. The shop security man, Patrick Okorie, attempted to stop Kirsty to obtain her telephone number in relation to an alleged previous incident in the shop.
An argument ensured during which, it was claimed, that Mr. Okorie had kicked Kirsty beneath her jaw – causing her to bleed profusely. Kirsty went straight home to her mother, who reported the incident to the Gardai and took Kirsty to hospital.
In the subsequent Gardai investigation, Mr. Okorie had signed an ‘adult caution’ in Fitzgibbon Street Garda station, and although alleging during the court hearing that he was acting in self-defence, Judge Joseph Mathews accepted the account of the incident given by Kirsty.
The award of 10,000 Euros was made against the owner of the store, Raymond Conboy.

The Department of Justice has estimated that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal will award €4.2 million to victims of crime in 2010. The total payments over the past five years are likely to reach €22 million by the end of 2010.

The 2009 statistics show that there were 111 payments in 2009, with the highest award being €867,000. The tribunal makes awards to about half of all applicants.

Glen Turner of Navan, County Meath has won €100,000 damages in settlement of a High Court case against the Ardboyne Hotel, Navan, County Meath for alleged assault by doormen at a nightclub at the hotel.

Mister Turner has claimed that a pre-existing epilepsy condition has “significantly worsened” since he was allegedly assaulted by two doormen. The incident occurred in September 2001.

The High Court case was taken against Quinn Hotels Ltd, with registered offices at Hotel Kilmore, Dublin Road, County Cavan, which operates the Ardboyne’s Hotel. The full details of the settlement were not revealed in court, although legal council for Mr Turner told Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill that the terms included a payment of €100,000.

Prison Officers were awarded over €2.5m in 2009 for injuries sustained in the line of duty.

The awards were made to 112 prison officers, whose injuries at work included stabbings, broken jaws, and needle attacks.

The highest award was over €500,000 and €329,473, while there were multiple awards of over €50,000.

Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has highlighted that the profile of prisoners has changed in recent years to include more gang members and a new generation of more violent inmates. There were over 150 assaults on prison offers in 2009.

Prison officers get a lot of negative press for their relatively high earnings and a massive overtime bill.  The injuries sustained by so many prison offers put their salaries into perspective.

Caroloine Grainger of Portmarnock, County Dublin, has been awarded €25,000 damages against a burglar who terrorised her while robbing her possessions in her bedroom in March 2004.

Ms Grainger said that she thought she was going to be killed when two men pulled her blankets over her head. Simon O’Connor of Donnycarney, Dublin, later pleaded guilty to burglary in the Circuit Criminal Court and was jailed for five years.

Ms Grainger testified that she still suffered nightmares and flashback and now slept behind locked doors.  Medical evidence was given that Ms Grainger had suffered mild to severe post-traumatic stress syndrome.  The case was heard by Mr Justice Matthew Deery and the compensation award was made for emotional stress, assault, and trespass.

The parents of two children have just obtained compensation of €6,500 plus legal costs for psychological injury from Budget Travel. Armed intruders broke into their holiday apartment in Lanzarote. The incident happened in May 2002 when the children were 8 and 5 years old.   In a separate claim, the parents obtained compensation of €28,400 plus legal costs at the Circuit Court in Killarney in January 2006 for loss of property, personal trauma and the recovery of the holiday cost.  The family claimed that Budget Travel failed to provide suitably secure accommodation.

The family were staying at Los Orquideas apartments in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote when they were awoken at 3.00 by three intruders, one of whom was in their children’s bedroom with a long screwdriver.  The gang removed the content of their security box, including €1,600 in cash,  €12,000 in jewellry, passports, and a credit card.