Johnson & Johnson secures reduction in Mark Keane’s workplace injury award

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Johnson & Johnson secured a €58,000 reduction in former Limerick hurler Mark Keane’s award for workplace injuries. The Court of Appeal reduced his High Court payout to €886,000.

Mr Keane was injured while helping to free a colleague trapped in machinery at the company’s plant in Plassey, County Limerick, on 10 September 2018. He alleged that Johnson & Johnson had failed to provide a safe place and system of work.

The High Court had awarded him €944,074.46. Mr Justice Paul Coffey found a causal connection between the accident and symptoms in Mr Keane’s right shoulder. The company had accepted responsibility for nerve damage and injury to his right hand, but disputed responsibility for the shoulder injury.

The Court of Appeal said the reduction reflected a €42,000 award Mr Keane had already received in 2019 for a 2014 road traffic incident, and an adjustment to his expected future earnings.