Posted: October 9th, 2016
A young girl from Dublin, who punctured a lung after falling from an unsafe window, has had her compensation settlement approved by a Circuit Court judge.
In August 2012, when Róisín Byrne was just fifteen months old, she was living with her parents in an old Georgian building in Blackrock. However, whilst at the property, the little girl fell from a large sash window, falling nearly three metres before landing on a fire escape. Little Róisín was extensively injured, with lacerations to her head, broken ribs and a punctured lung. Róisín, now five years old, has recovered from her injuries though still bears a scar on her head.
Chloe Murphy and Ronan Byrne, Róisín’s parents, had previously expressed concerns about the window to the caretaker of the property. They felt that it was dangerous, as it opened very close to the ground and they had a young daughter. As such, they requested that the caretaker put an extra latch or lock on the window such that it would be more secure and an accident would not happen.
Róisín’s parents, Ronan Byrne and Chloe Murphy, had complained before the accident to the property’s caretaker that the window through which Róisín fell posed a hazard for the little girl, as it opened very close to the ground. As such, they requested that an extra lock be put on it. This request was never heeded.
Chloe Murphy, acting on Róisín’s behalf, made a claim for assessment of injuries with the Injuries Board. The owner of the Blackrock property, Enda Woods, consented to the assessment, after which the Injuries Board recommended a settlement of €46,000.
Though both parties agreed upon the sum, the claim for compensation was made on behalf of a child. As such, the settlement had to be approved by a judge before it could be awarded. As the value of the assessment exceeded €15,000, it proceeded to Dublin’s Circuit Court.
The case was overseen by Mr Justice Raymond Groarke. After he was detailed the circumstances of the accident and Róisín’s injuries, he approved the sum. The €46,000 will now be held in court funds until Róisín reaches adulthood.
Categories: Child Claims
