2017-07-25 · Kilkenny
Horseman awarded €92k in damages against trainer Margaret Mullins
In a High Court case, 65‑year‑old James Foley was awarded €92,000 in damages after he injured his left shoulder while loading a four‑year‑old horse onto a lorry for trainer Margaret Mullins at Canterbrook Stud on 18 November 2013. Foley claimed that the horse became spooked, causing him to fall, and that Mullins, who was present, failed to assist him in securing the horse, thereby breaching her duty of care under the 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act. Mullins denied the allegations, asserting that the horse was on the ramp when it became unsettled and that Foley had contributed to his injuries by mishandling the animal. Judge Michael Hanna found Foley's version of events more credible, noting that he was an experienced horseman and that Mullins was his employer at the time, and therefore owed him a duty of care.