Case Study

The incident

Jack worked as a ramp agent at an airport. One evening, he and a colleague were unloading containers from a truck onto a metal trolley. This work would normally involve three or four staff members, including someone to watch for hazards and guide the movement of containers. That evening, only Jack and his colleague were working.

As Jack stood beside the trolley, his colleague operated a cargo handler to manoeuvre a container into position. During the rotation, Jack was caught between the trolley and the load, resulting in his left leg being pinned down. The moving load struck his leg against the trolley, causing him to fall. Jack immediately sustained a wound to his left leg.

Emergency personnel attended to him before he was taken to hospital. His wound was cleaned and stitched, and X-rays showed no broken bones. The accident left him with a twisting and crush injury to his knee, along with bruising and abrasions. He stayed in hospital overnight and had to use crutches for two weeks.

Following the accident, Jack attended his GP and had three physiotherapy sessions. He was unable to work for 20 days before he was able to return to his usual duties.

In the months after the accident, Jack continued to experience a constant dull ache in his left knee and upper calf. The pain became worse after lifting at work, standing or walking for long periods, and driving long distances. He was left with a lasting scar and reduced sensation behind his knee.

Before the accident, Jack enjoyed running and playing badminton with his son every week. He has since returned to these activities, but his knee pain means he cannot take part as often as he used to.

Every employer has a duty of care to ensure a safe working environment for their employees. In this case, Jack’s employer failed to provide enough staff and a safe system for unloading containers. As a result, Jack was struck by a container and suffered injuries to his left knee.

Case progression:

Jack’s employer did not consent to the Injuries Board assessment of the accident, so Jack’s solicitor Elaine Hickey issued court proceedings.

Case settlement:

The case was settled on the 4^th of June 2025 for the sum of €14,000. This was a great result for our client. We are proud of all the work put in by Elaine and her team to achieve this outcome.

*Note: Client name changed for GDPR reasons.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I make a car accident claim?

   Following a car crash or other road traffic accident, your first port of call is to check to see if you, any passengers and anybody else involved in the accident need medical attention and to call an ambulance, where necessary, to ensure that medical attention is gotten as soon as possible.

   It is important that, if you have suffered a personal injury that you book an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible after the road traffic accident, even if you are involved in a minor road traffic accident, regardless of how minor you think the injuries are, in some cases these minor injuries can develop into a more serious threat to your health. In worst case scenarios, fatal road accidents can occur.

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.