[Article] Council 'not responsible' for shelter collapse

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0622/busshelter.html

Council 'not responsible' for shelter collapse
22 June 2006 21:56

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard that Dublin City Council was not responsible for any wrongdoing that caused a bus shelter to fall on top of a member of the public causing her serious injuries.

The council pleaded guilty to one charge of breaching the Health and Welfare at Work Act in that it failed to put an adequate exclusion zone around excavation work beside a bus shelter at Lower Mount Street.

The court heard that Margaret Fee of Rathmines in Dublin was walking on Lower Mount Street in June 2003 when the bus shelter fell on top of her.

She said that she thought a building had collapsed on her and lay trapped under the structure for some time until it was removed by members of the public.

Ms Fee suffered severe injures to her pelvis, kidneys and bowel as well as severe abrasions and lesions. She spent four months in hospital, one of which was spent in intensive care.

She subsequently spent six months in hospital after surgery for injuries arising out of the incident. An avid walker and pitch and putt player, Ms Fee is no longer able to pursue those interests.

The court heard that the bus shelter had been erected by sub-contractors for the bus shelter company, Adshel, and had not been erected under the job specification used by Adshel on all of its other shelters.

A forensic engineer said the shelter had been erected on sand rather than a proper foundation.

Counsel for Dublin City Council said if the bus shelter had been erected using the proper foundation, the work being carried out by the council would not have affected the stability of the shelter.

Judge Desmond Hogan has adjourned sentencing until October.

secret_squirrel

So did she take just DCC to court or Adshel as well?

Should have done both from the sounds of it...

lostexpectation

terrible, what ya think of the verdict of the women kknocked down by the bus on o'connell street, there was lots talk at the time about slippery granite and lack of color chage being a serious problem and it would happen again, but then last week they said they're had been recommendations but nothing had been done

plaza my arse!

ooh and speaking of things collapsing did anyone see the photo on the fron of the northside people of the pedstrian bridge knocked down by a truck on the swords road :!

Stark

lostexpectation wrote:

terrible, what ya think of the verdict of the women kknocked down by the bus on o'connell street, there was lots talk at the time about slippery granite and lack of color chage being a serious problem and it would happen again, but then last week they said they're had been recommendations but nothing had been done

plaza my arse!

Designing a road surface to look like the footpath was the worst. idea. ever. I was nearly knocked down myself on that road just after I moved to Dublin. I was walking along sending a text message looking at the ground in front of me when I heard this horn blare. I jumped back just in time to see a bus whizz by at something like 40mph. A second's difference in the timing and I'd be another "Pedestrian killed by bus on O'Connell Street".

Ham'nd'egger

secret_squirrel wrote:

So did she take just DCC to court or Adshel as well?.

This case was in the Circuit Criminal Court so it would have been presented by the DPP, not by the lady. Adshel put up bus shelters, so if the base was wrong then they will be liable in a civil prosecution, which I am sure will be taken up soon enough. In this case, it appears that DCC are being taken to task for not cordoning off work on a public street. But I am sure that this will not be the last of this issue.

secret_squirrel

Stark wrote:

Designing a road surface to look like the footpath was the worst. idea. ever.

Its off topic but I would have to agree with this too.

Only a very tiny kerb, barely a bump and then suddenly you're in the road.

Incredibly dangerous imo.

Victor

Sorry for dragging his up again, but I used the thread in reference to something else and found the follow-up sentencing and related stories

http://www.irish-independent.com/breakingnews/index.php3?ca=9&si=100123&printer=1

12:33 Friday October 20th 2006
Dublin City Council has been fined €5,000 arising out of an incident on Lower Mount Street three years ago in which a bus shelter collapsed on a woman.

The council pleaded guilty to failing to take measures to ensure the area around excavation works being carried out near the shelter was safe.

The woman at the centre of the case, Margaret Fee, gave evidence saying she had thought a building had fallen on her when she was knocked over and trapped by the shelter.

She spent four weeks in intensive care as a result.

Both her arms were broken and she sustained injuries to her pelvis and abdomen.

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2006/0622/breaking63.htm
http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0622/busshelter.html?rss
http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/8326464?view=Eircomnet
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