€70,000 settlement for girl who fell on laneway near her home

A High Court judge has approved a €70,000 settlement for a young girl who fell on an allegedly potholed and “patched” laneway near her home in Edgeworthstown, Co Longford. The settlement was made to Kristen Liddy against Longford County Council as a result of the accident which occurred in May 2010 when Ms Liddy, then aged almost seven, was crossing a laneway between her home at Devine Crescent and the fire station in Edgeworthstown. It was claimed Ms Liddy tripped and fell forward onto her face, chipping her front teeth and suffering cuts to her right check, right upper eyebrow and left knee. She later had the affected teeth capped and has been left with some minor scarring.

Through her father Frank, Ms Liddy, now aged 16, of Devine Crescent, Edgeworthstown, sued the council as a result of the accident.

On Monday, her counsel applied to Mr Justice Garrett Simons to approve a €70,000 offer by the council to settle the case. The €70,000 comprised €64,112 general damages with the rest for special damages and was very close to the full value of the case, he said.

Reports provided to the judge, who inspected Ms Liddy’s facial injuries, indicated that scars to her right cheek and forehead had healed well. While the scars are permanent, a plastic surgeon expressed the view they are minor and presented at most a cosmetic blemish rather than a cosmetic deformity. Describing the €70,000 offer as “generous” and close to the full value of the case, the judge said he was satisfied to approve it. This was effectively a trip and fall case and all such cases carried risk, he said.