Go-Kart Injury Compensation Award of €10k for Schoolgirl

by | Jun 6, 2018

The Circuit Civil Court has awarded €10,000 personal injury compensation against a holiday centre after a 17-year-old schoolgirl’s hair became trapped in the wheels of a go-kart  which resulted in her below-waist-length hair becoming trapped.

The girl Alannah Reddin, of Maple Avenue, Ballybrack, Co Dublin, advised Judge Terence O’Sullivan, through her legal counsel Esther Earley, that lumps of Alannah’s locks had to be cut off so that she could be released from the go-kart’s back wheels. She, Ms Earley, added that Alannah had been trapped for almost an hour as staff attempted to free her before having to resort to cutting the young girl’s hair.

Judge O’Sullivan heard that Alannah,was holidaying with her family at Trabolgan Holiday Centre, Cork, in April 2017 when the accident occurred. Counsel for Ms Earley argued that Trabolgan and Hemway Limited had been responsible for arranging a number of various activities at their premises. However when it came to go-karting they had not given any warnings about the risks involved for those with long hair participating.

Alannah, taking the legal action against the holiday park through her mother Emma Reddin, had not been advised to tie up her long hair. Ms Earley told the Court said that the organisers of the activity should have been able to recognise the danger and the possibilty of the participants’ especially long hair could becoming tangled in the wheels of the go-kart

Alannah, the court was told, had suffered pain in her scalp and had experience migraines  for some time after the accident. However, the young girl did not experience any other lasting problems apart from the duration of time it had taken for her hair to grow back.

Judge O’Sullivan approved a holiday park personal injury settlement offer of €10,000. He said Alannah had experienced a frightening experience and hair loss and he felt the figure was an adequate amount of compensation on the basis that some contributory negligence would have to be taken into account. As Alannah would be 18 on November 12 2018 the judge directed that payment be made directly into her bank account.  Additionally she was also awarded just over €1,000 for incidental expenses associated with her personal injury compensation claim.

Need Help?

If you have any legal questions arising from an injury then please call us now on our 24-Hour helpline on 1800-989 900

This is a free-to-call line to book a call with a Coleman Legal solicitor. There are no charges or obligations for using this service and you will NOT be pressured into making a claim or using our services. We always respect your privacy and comply with GDPR regulations.