Man with head injury from fall in house after office party settles case for €550k
A man who ended up with a serious head injury after he allegedly fell on stairs when he stayed over at a colleague’s house after an office party has settled his High Court action for €550,000.
Edmund O’Shea, it was claimed, was intoxicated and others claimed they thought he was sleeping off the effects of drink when he was found in the hallway of the house where he had gone in the early hours just before Christmas seven years ago.
Mr Justice Kevin Cross approving the settlement noted it was only one tenth of the full value of the case.
The resident of the house where the accident is alleged to have happened on December 20, 2012, had claimed Mr O’Shea was the author of his own misfortune and she claimed she was not legally liable for any alleged injury sustained during the hospitality shown to what she alleged was a drunken fellow worker who had been offered a bed for the night.
Edmund O Shea (aged 61), Ballitore, Athy, Co. Kildare, had sued Eithne Hobbs, Riverchapel Close, Courtown Harbour, Gorey, Co. Wexford who resided in the house where the accident occurred and a David Doyle who worked at the time in Co. Wicklow and attended the office party and also stayed at the house in Riverchapel Close afterwards.
It was claimed there was an alleged failure to call an ambulance or other medical assistance following Mr O’Shea having fallen and there was an alleged failure to note that he was unconscious, bleeding from the head and seriously injured.
He further claimed there was an alleged failure to take proper care of him and he was in an intoxicated state when he arrived at Riverchapel Close.
As a result of his injuries, it was claimed Mr O’Shea, a supply chain planner, is left with a serious and permanent disability.
Mr Doyle in his defence of the action denied the claims and alleged considerable amounts of alcohol were consumed at the work party. Mr Doyle claimed when he got up the next morning at the house, he discovered Mr O’Shea at the bottom of the stairs and he believed he was “sleeping off” the effects of the alcohol consumed the previous evening.
Mr Doyle and Ms Hobbs, it is claimed, were under pressure to go to work but Ms Hobbs was reluctant to leave Mr O'Shea in her residence. Mr O’Shea, it is claimed, having failed to wake up, was placed in his car outside the house, so when he woke up he could drive home.
Ms Hobbs claimed she remained genuinely concerned for the welfare of Mr O'Shea and checked with a neighbour if he had driven away.
She claimed she contacted Mr O'Shea’s work manager, who went to the house and Mr O‘Shea was transferred to hospital. Mr O’Shea later underwent a craniotomy.
Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Kevin Cross said it was a “close to hopeless case from a legal point of view”.
He said the legal teams had done well to get the settlement. He wished the O’Sheas well for the future.
