Man receives €1.5m in ladder-fall settlement
The High Court has approved a settlement of €1.5m to a roofer who fell from a ladder and suffered a brain injury on his first day in the job.
Paul O'Brien of Ballymoate, Glenealy, Co Wicklow suffered a brain injury as a result of the fall on 18 July 2012.
The court heard O'Brien worked in construction during the boom but he lost his job and was unemployed for some time before being hired as a roofer on a 4 month contract.
On his very first day in the job he fell and hit his head while descending from the roof of a property in Bray.
He alleges the ladder was unsecured and that it slipped on wet decking.
The court heard the 49-year-old is now cared for by his wife, he will never work again and he suffers mood changes as well as short term memory loss as a result of a brain injury.
Through his wife he sued his employer Sean Lyons of Clondalkin Towers, Ninth Lock Road, Clondalkin alleging negligence and breach of duty.
Ms Justice Mary Irvine approved a €1.5m settlement having been told that if the case had gone to trial his employer would have claimed that Paul O'Brien had been carrying two hammers at the time, and that he had started the roofing job prematurely.
