Courts / Galway / Report

Employee who tripped at work entrance is awarded €66k

Date
2018-11-01

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Galway

County
Galway

Summary

In a High Court trial, Mr Justice Denis McDonald awarded €66,300 in damages to applicant Colie Conneely following a workplace accident. Conneely, who worked for Thermo King Ireland Ltd for over 30 years, tripped at the factory entrance in Galway on February 17, 2014, suffering injuries to his shoulder, hip, and knee. He alleged his employer was negligent for failing to maintain a safe workplace, conduct risk assessments, or warn of tripping hazards, breaching the 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act. The defendant denied liability, claiming Conneely contributed to his own injuries and did not report the incident until the next day. The judge found no contributory negligence, determining that a 10mm differential between a paving slab and a concrete channel caused the fall. He noted that proper maintenance would have revealed the hazard. Conneely was out of work for 17 weeks, required surgery, and experienced difficulties with hobbies such as darts and gardening. The judge described Conneely as a frank and honest witness who downplayed the severity of his injury. The court held the company 100% liable for the damages. Ros Greal is identified as the applicant's address in the proceedings.