Man awarded €59K after slip at Rush pier

Unshelved

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/man-awarded-59-050-over-slip-at-rush-pier-1.1729745

This worries me. I'd hate to see swimming areas cordoned off by the Council because they're afraid that they might be sued. We use the Springboards in Skerries a lot over the Summer, and so do loads of other people. It would be terrible to see this amenity that has been used for generations taken away because the fear of litigation.

What does anyone else think?

fergal.b

Maybe that's why the CC are filling all the steps in the harbours around the East coast.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=88068031




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neris

"On his third time descending the steps, the court was told Mr McGrath slipped on a moss-like marine plant and fell heavily on his elbow. He slid down the remaining six steps and came to a rest on the seabed"

this is compo culture going mad. Hes swimming in a harbour where marine life grows on the permanent structures of a harbour what are fingal meant to do? have a man going around after every high tide to wash the steps?

bcmf

neris wrote: »

"On his third time descending the steps, the court was told Mr McGrath slipped on a moss-like marine plant and fell heavily on his elbow. He slid down the remaining six steps and came to a rest on the seabed"

this is compo culture going mad. Hes swimming in a harbour where marine life grows on the permanent structures of a harbour what are fingal meant to do? have a man going around after every high tide to wash the steps?

I agree and disagree.

I agree that its compo culture but its ended up in court where the solicitors for FCC obviously decided to take a chance and lost.

I disagree because for far too long FCC have IMO neglected its duties ,and I aim this directly at the roads and potholes, and simply have taken the line of 'Normal wear and tear. Its not our fault'.
This has now set a precedent and forces FCC to live up to its obligitations.
Of course I can also see that they will take the easy way and close places off rather then put a maintenance policy in place.

martinn123

bcmf wrote: »

I agree and disagree.

I agree that its compo culture but its ended up in court where the solicitors for FCC obviously decided to take a chance and lost.

I disagree because for far too long FCC have IMO neglected its duties ,and I aim this directly at the roads and potholes, and simply have taken the line of 'Normal wear and tear. Its not our fault'.
This has now set a precedent and forces FCC to live up to its obligitations.
Of course I can also see that they will take the easy way and close places off rather then put a maintenance policy in place.

Definitely Compo Culture at its worst
With Finances at FCC suffering like the rest of the Country, this will result in further loss of badly needed services elsewhere.

Those steps are under water at every tide, in other words are under water as often as exposed, of course algae etc is going to grown there
The pier was built for Fishing Boats not for swimming, unlike say the Springers in Skerries, ( which were wrecked by the storms anyway ).

Expect the steps to be boarded off, allowing no swimming, otherwise someone will open a Solicitors Office opposite the harbour for the summer months.
I have sympathy for the chap, being injured and off work, but in a way, what did he expect.

sdanseo

Patent nonsense. This man should be excommunicated* for ripping off the public, as should the idiot who awarded the compensation.

There's legal precedent and then there's common bloody sense.

*or otherwise taught a lesson

Carawaystick

I saw this in the IT and was aghast at the fact the judges thought there was no contributary negligence at all, for stepping on seaweed.

I can see a run of cases for people who were hurt slipping on ice from the last hard winter.