A High Court personal injury claim action has been settled for €80,000 in favour of a young boy who was attacked by his grandmother’s dog when he was playing with his cousins in her garden.
Judge Justice Garrett Simons was informed that the young boy in question, Eoin Kerrigan from Drumlish in Co. Longford, was just four years old when he was attacked and bitten by his Grandmother’s Japanese Akita guard dog.
In the attack that took place in the back garden of his grandmother’s Co Longford home, Eoin sustained lacerations to the top of his head and his scalp and forehead.
Eight-year-old Eoin – who lives at Millrace Park, Drumlish, Co Longford – too the personal injury compensation action through his mother Aine Kerrigan against his grandmother Anna Reilly as a result of the attack on October 2, 2016.
Mr Justice Garrett Simons was told that Eoin had been at his granny’s house in Kilmahon, Drumlish, Co Longford for Sunday lunch when he was playing in the garden with his three cousins. It was at this point in time that the dog attacked him occurred. The court was informed that the young boy suffered from severe shocked and trauma due to the accident which left him bleeding profusely.
In order to have his injuries treated the young boy was rushed to Mullingar Regional Hospital. Here medical staff discovered that he had sustained four lacerations, two deep ones to his scalp about six centimetres in length with another cut inflicted to the left side of his forehead and, finally, a cut just above the eyebrow on the left hand side of his head.
Due due his injuries the decision was taken to keep him in hospital where his lacerations were cleaned and sterilized. In order to properly treat the wounds he received 26 stitches under general anaesthetic. In an affidavit presented to the Judge, Eoin’s mother Aine revealed that her son’s stitches were taken out after seven days and it was discovered that his wounds had healed excellently. She informed the Judge that a consultation with a plastic surgeon in 2019 deemed that her son did not require additional treatment for the scars. However, she added that Eoin experiences flashbacks of the incident and was quite afraid for a time after the incident. He had experienced nightmares about the attack for some time.
Mr Justice Simons, in approving the settlement, informed the court that he had witnessed images of the scarring that indicated they had healed up quite well. He referred to the child injury compensation settlement as a very good one.