Girl awarded €10,000 for trauma suffered when bike fell near her

dilallio · 11-01-2011 06:29PM

Not the judges fault.
He only approved the OFFER from Smyths.
I wonder how many child psychiatrists the family contacted before they got this guy.

DrumSteve · 11-01-2011 06:30PM

yeah thats right €10000 will make the kid feel better

irishgeo · 11-01-2011 06:30PM

and then we wonder why the cost of insurance in ireland is so high and therefore the cost of doing business.

DarkJager · 11-01-2011 06:30PM

Ridiculous amount for what was essentially a non event. If the bike had fallen on her instead of near her the compo would be deserved, but Post traumatic stress?? What a load of bull****. The youth of today are too wrapped in cotton wool for their own good. For all the trees I fell out of, bikes I fell off and cuts I got as a kid it never had any impact on me apart from needing a plaster or 2.

We've got a generation of absolute wimps following us up.

kraggy · 11-01-2011 06:34PM

tommy21 wrote: »

Is this for wheel?!

Yeah it is unfortunately. There's been a chain reaction of claims happening recently.

Disgraceful.

trackcar · 11-01-2011 06:37PM

I was in Smyth's Dundalk one morning a month before christmas getting some santa stuff for the wee lad, I was lifing a box from a shelf when the shelf above me decided to collapse and landed on the floor, in seconds there was about 5 staff around me checking to see if I was OK.

Overheal · 11-01-2011 06:39PM

k_mac wrote: »

Another genius scam. Almost as good as suing the NHS for being too fat with the added bonus of not being too fat.

How do you presume to get a 2-year old to Fake PTSD?

Not being the 2-year old in the situation but having a bike fall from 14 feet (toddler trans: a hundred feet) above my head, come crashing down to LVT right in front of me, I'd be pretty terrified of things too. Like kids that develop any fear of things like Dogs or Heights if they've been nipped/barked at or fallen off something.

Otherwise normal occurrence in a kids life except in this case it was a business that stored this bike up there (not surprising to me: Walmart regularly has bikes stored up that height) That fell down, could have killed or seriously injured the kid, etc.

I would agree it sounds like a serious kneejerk lawsuit, but it's not like they sued them the day after: It's 4 years later and if the child is still suffering from PTSD you can't call this a "phase". As for the money, I assume it takes money to see PTSD specialists. And as pointed out, Smyths offered the sum.

I can think of more traumatic events like having the front of my bike run over while i was on it, but aside from being shaken I was old enough (15) to not be traumatized by it. I still ride bikes and aren't suffering PTSD or anything. I just got him to pay for the repairs the eejit. But not having PTSD I couldn't say how serious the disorder is, nor in the case of a toddler.

11-01-2011 06:39PM

dilallio wrote: »

Not the judges fault.
He only approved the OFFER from Smyths.

^ This. Essentially, the family kicked up a fuss, and Smyths said "here, have this big bag of money and **** off"

CrinkElite · 11-01-2011 06:40PM

Maybe the 10k hit will be enough to remind them that this could have been alot more serious.
If the bike had landed on her they would have had a much larger problem on their hands.
I know it's disheartening to see money grabbers trying to profit from the slightest offenses of struggling businesses. We all know someone who's had multiple falls in every shop in their locality but in all fairness 10k is not a huge amount of money and it may be enough to get the store owners to revise their policies on health and safety.
lucky escape for them if you want my opinion.

reverenddave · 11-01-2011 06:47PM

[

DarkJager wrote: »

Ridiculous amount for what was essentially a non event. If the bike had fallen on her instead of near her the compo would be deserved, but Post traumatic stress?? What a load of bull****. The youth of today are too wrapped in cotton wool for their own good. For all the trees I fell out of, bikes I fell off and cuts I got as a kid it never had any impact on me apart from needing a plaster or 2.

We've got a generation of absolute wimps following us up.

http://www.mileanhour.com/files/2010/9/The-90s.jpg

Overheal · 11-01-2011 06:49PM

reverenddave wrote: »

http://www.mileanhour.com/files/2010/9/The-90s.jpg

No.... I just couldn't get a hold of a giant rocket on wheels. Duh.

Fizman · 11-01-2011 06:49PM

curlzy wrote: »

That's just depressing, we're turning in the USA

What part of the USA are you in? And why are you turning?

Stay on topic please. This is about a girl and a bike and money.

hardCopy · 11-01-2011 06:53PM

dilallio wrote: »

Not the judges fault.
He only approved the OFFER from Smyths.
I wonder how many child psychiatrists the family contacted before they got this guy.

Daddy's a social worker, he probably knew a clatter of them

11-01-2011 06:54PM

While I understand that Smyths were in the wrong for haphazardly stocking the bike, €10,000 is a bit much, especially taken into account that the child wasn't harmed. Post-traumatic stress? That sounds a bit ridiculous for a 6 year old.

@Overheal - I understand how a child being bitten by a child can lead to said child being afraid of dogs, so does a bike landing in front of a child lead them to being afraid of bikes? Smyths? Gravity?

KungPao · 11-01-2011 06:56PM

I'm familiar with the Smyths shops and if it fell from 14 feet it was a small bike (12-16inches maybe) in a box.

The only reason the bikes (in boxes) are on the shop floor at all is because a few years back they introduced the money making scheme of offering the bike in a box (at the shown price) or assembled for €10 extra. Whereas before all the bikes were assembled (at no extra cost) and so were all in the stock room.

Overheal · 11-01-2011 06:57PM

Deleted User wrote: »

While I understand that Smyths were in the wrong for haphazardly stocking the bike, €10,000 is a bit much, especially taken into account that the child wasn't harmed. Post-traumatic stress? That sounds a bit ridiculous for a 6 year old.

Smyth's offered the settlement amount. The parent's didn't specify 10k.

@Overheal - I understand how a child being bitten by a child can lead to said child being afraid of dogs,

? :P ?

so does a bike landing in front of a child lead them to being afraid of bikes? Smyths? Gravity?

You would have to ask a child psychologist and be intimate with the incident. Was the girl running around the store when the incident happened, does the child feel that by wandering off on her own she brought it on herself? When she hear's sudden loud noises is she afraid something is about to crush her? I can't answer that. I can't rule out the possibility that her parents are hyper-inflating the issue either, mind. But I'm taking the story at face value since it's far too easy to join the rabble-wagon and say they're money-grubbing leeches america rabble etc.

11-01-2011 07:00PM

Overheal wrote: »

Smyth's offered the settlement amount. The parent's didn't specify 10k.

? :P ?

You would have to ask a child psychologist and be intimate with the incident. Was the girl running around the store when the incident happened, does the child feel that by wandering off on her own she brought it on herself? When she hear's sudden loud noises is she afraid something is about to crush her? I can't answer that.

Damn. I meant child being bitten by a dog. But damn those child-biting children.

I didn't realize that it was Smyths that chose the figure.

Crasp · 11-01-2011 07:02PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

Fùck, I should've been a millionare by now with all the crap that happened to me when I was little, I don't even remember most of the events :pac:

So what, anytime she sees a bike she'll freeze, stare into the distance and have Vietnam-esque flashbacks? :pac:

Johnny?! JOHNNY?! JONAAAAAAAY!!!!

kelle · 11-01-2011 07:06PM

I was in Smyth's in Blanchardstown a few years ago when a huge Lego box fell to the floor a few feet away from me, while my daughter was a newborn asleep in the pram! It frightened the life out of me that it could have fallen on her had I been a few steps forward, and I let them know that they should have these boxes secured when they're up at such a height.

No, i didn't sue!

Overheal · 11-01-2011 07:09PM

kelle wrote: »

I was in Smyth's in Blanchardstown a few years ago when a huge Lego box fell to the floor a few feet away from me, while my daughter was a newborn asleep in the pram! It frightened the life out of me that it could have fallen on her had I been a few steps forward, and I let them know that they should have these boxes secured when they're up at such a height.

No, i didn't sue!

But did you suffer PTSD as a result of the incident? As diagnosed by a specialist?

mikom · 11-01-2011 07:14PM

kelle wrote: »

I was in Smyth's in Blanchardstown a few years ago when a huge Lego box fell to the floor a few feet away from me, while my daughter was a newborn asleep in the pram! It frightened the life out of me

Did you shit bricks?

kelle · 11-01-2011 07:33PM

Overheal wrote: »

But did you suffer PTSD as a result of the incident? As diagnosed by a specialist?

No and no - that's where I went wrong

I was pretty nervous going to Smyth's for a long time!

I was furious that this could have happened, however if that incident with the bicycle means that goods will be placed more securely on their shelves then I suppose can only be a good thing.

Morlar · 11-01-2011 07:35PM

Pretty sure most human beings will have had something fall over in their vicinity during the course of their infancy/childhood. The notion that this constitutes post traumatic stress disorder is pathetic.

Overheal · 11-01-2011 07:38PM

Morlar wrote: »

Pretty sure most human beings will have had something fall over in their vicinity during the course of their infancy/childhood. The notion that this constitutes post traumatic stress disorder is pathetic.

Who are you to say whether the child actually has PTSD or not, in all fairness? Nobody is arguing that everybody who has something fall near them is going to develop PTSD.

steo87 · 11-01-2011 07:41PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

Vietnam-esque flashbacks? :pac:

I can just imagine the scene...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1tDVmEBci8

Standman · 11-01-2011 07:42PM

It's stupid sh*t like this which has made swimming pools such a dull place where any form of fun apart from run of the mill swimming is disallowed, and the sailing club in sligo which felt the need to put a row of signs next to a cliff exclaiming "Caution: Cliff!". People need to learn some goddamn common sense.

agrostar · 11-01-2011 07:52PM

Overheal wrote: »

Who are you to say whether the child actually has PTSD or not, in all fairness? Nobody is arguing that everybody who has something fall near them is going to develop PTSD.

Who are you to say whether or not the child had PTSD before the bike fell near them. I dont think a child would understand the height from which the bike fell if it had hit him/her to really understand the possible danger he/she was in, the poor child only probably got a fright when the bike crashed to the ground beside him/her.

Ireland is quickly turning into a claim culture society driving up insurance prices, driving business and work out of the country:mad::mad:............

johnmcdnl · 11-01-2011 07:57PM

shouldn't this 10k go to paying for doctors bills to help the girl??

Coriolanus · 11-01-2011 08:01PM

The judges in this country should be the first to be lined up and shot by the revolutionary forces, never mind the fúcking politicians.

SeaFields · 11-01-2011 08:01PM

He told the court her GP had referred her to consultant child psychologist Mr Andrew Conway.

Mr Conway, on the basis of symptoms including hypersensitivity to noise such as thunder storms, fire crackers, cars backfiring, and an unwillingness to engage with other children, diagnosed her as having suffered a post traumatic reaction of a moderate type.

Are they not symptoms of autism too?

Girl awarded €10,000 for trauma suffered when bike fell near her

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