Supporting a client through a slip and trip injury claim following a shopping centre accident in Ireland

€23,000 settlement in slip and trip injury claim

Our client, a woman in her mid-forties, came to Coleman Legal after sustaining injuries in a slip and trip accident at a shopping centre in Ireland. She had been walking back to her car when her foot went into a hole in the ground that was obscured by rainwater that had gathered on the surface. The incident caused immediate pain and difficulty in her knee, hip, and lower back.

She was concerned about the ongoing impact of her injuries and wanted to understand whether she had a valid slip and trip injury claim against the company responsible for maintaining the shopping centre premises. Having sought legal advice, she instructed Coleman Legal to act on her behalf in pursuing the slip and trip injury claim.

How we supported our client through the process

Coleman Legal carried out an initial assessment of the circumstances of the accident and the basis of the slip and trip injury claim. The central issue was liability: establishing that the private company responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the shopping centre premises had been negligent in allowing a hazard of this nature to exist and go unaddressed, and that this negligence had caused our client’s injuries.

We identified and instructed three independent experts whose evidence was central to the slip and trip injury claim:

• A consulting engineer assessed the nature of the hazard, the condition of the surface where the incident occurred, and the adequacy of the maintenance regime at the premises.
• An orthopaedic consultant examined our client and provided a detailed clinical report on the soft tissue injuries she had sustained.
• A pain management consultant assessed her longer-term symptoms and ongoing treatment requirements as her recovery progressed.

Our client’s knee and hip injuries improved and resolved within several months of the incident. Her lower back injury proved more persistent and required continued management over a longer period. Access to physiotherapy and specialist consultations was significantly delayed by restrictions introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which had a practical effect on both the pace of her recovery and the progression of the case.

Coleman Legal lodged an application with the Personal Injuries Resolution Board (PIRB) in accordance with the requirements of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003. Following the PIRB process, Circuit Court proceedings were issued. The slip and trip injury claim was carefully prepared for hearing over a period of five years, with medical evidence gathered, updated, and presented in full as our client’s condition evolved.

Throughout the slip and trip injury claim, Coleman Legal ensured that our client remained fully informed regarding the medical evidence, legal process, and progression of the proceedings.

Outcome and resolution

A settlement of €23,000 was reached without the defendant admitting liability. The settlement was agreed upon several weeks before the case was listed for hearing in the Circuit Court, and the matter was fully resolved on terms that reflected the nature and duration of our client’s injuries. Rose Sweeney of Coleman Legal represented our client throughout the slip and trip injury claim proceedings. Rose noted: “The case settled a few weeks before it was to be heard in Court.”