Case Study

Case summary:

Incident:

One day Anna was out for a stroll and went to walk along a footpath when suddenly without warning, she was caused to lose her footing and fall to the ground. She suffered a deep cut to her right knee, abrasions to her left knee and to her palms on both hands. Anna was very shaken by the fall; the incident happened in an area that was familiar to her and therefore she was able to call into a nearby hairdressers where they administered first aid and attempted to clean the wound. She went to her GP where the wound was dressed, and she was given a tetanus injection. The wound continued to ooze beneath the dressing causing Anna considerable pain.

An infection developed in Anna’s wound, which required regular visits with her GP and a course of antibiotics, she underwent multiple dressing changes over several weeks. Anna suffered ongoing knee pain following the incident. It is highly likely that the pre-existing knee injury that Anna had was exacerbated by this fall. She was advised by her consultant upon review that she would be a candidate for injection therapy. At work she experienced difficulty carrying heavy files and felt her confidence had been affected by the fall.

Anna has suffered a permanent scar on her right knee, which has affected her clothing choices. During a holiday, Anna experienced a loss in confidence, and she had to be particularly cautious when sunbathing. The scar on the right knee is purple in colour, very obvious and visible. Anna is upset by the appearance of the scar and would prefer not to have it, but she has been advised that the scar is permanent, and it will not improve in the future.

Case Progression

Court proceedings were instigated, and the case was brought to a successful conclusion.

Case Settlement

The case was settled in the Circuit Court in July 2022 for the sum of €17,000.00.

This case was a great success for our client, and we are delighted with the hard work Ruth and her team accomplished to achieve this excellent outcome.

*Note: Client name changed for GDPR reasons

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the legal time limits?

   The statute of limitations are the legal time limits on how long you have to make a claim vary depending on the situation. The general rule for all personal injury cases is that the person has two years from the date of the accident or date of knowledge of the accident to make a claim for compensation. Contacting a solicitor to discuss your case will help you in determining how long you have left to make a claim.

2. What information will my solicitor need to make a claim?

   In order for your solicitor to proceed with a personal injury claim for you they will need the following information:

   • Details of the person who caused the accident.
   • Names, addresses and contact information of any witnesses to the accident.
   • Where available, photographs of the location of the accident, paying particular attention to the item or area where the accident happened.
   • Name of Gardaí/police and station where the accident was reported – names of any Gardaí who attended the scene of the accident (where applicable).
   • Medical records detailing any injuries/treatment following the accident.
   • Details of any costs incurred following the accident (keep your receipts).
   • Details of any loss of earnings and details of any future loss of earnings if you are to be out of work for a long period of time.
   • Cost of medical treatment – details of future medical treatment needed.

3. How to calculate the value of my claim?

   The Injuries Board Book of Quantum provides us with general guidelines as to how much compensation may be awarded in a personal injury claim and is used by the Injuries Board when they are assessing a personal injury claim. This book was compiled by examining sample cases from over 51,000 closed personal injury cases from 2013 and 2014 and is based on actual court figures. It shows us what personal injury compensation amounts were awarded in the past and help give an estimate as to how much compensation could be awarded based on a person’s specific injuries.