Boots employee struck by advertising poster awarded €26,700 damages

Ray Managh

A Boots Pharmacy saleswoman, who was injured in the company’s Grafton Street store in Dublin when a steel-framed advertising poster fell of the wall and struck her head, was awarded €26,700 damages in the Circuit Civil Court on Tuesday.

Lisa Carlile told Judge James O’Donohue she had been six months pregnant at the time and suffered from neck pain that has lasted intermittently.

Following the incident she had been off work for eight weeks and experienced difficulties when lifting and dealing generally with her first child which had been born three months after the accident.

Barrister Garrett Cooney, who represented Ms Carlile, said the banner involved had fallen off the wall on two previous occasions but luckily no-one had been injured on these occasions.

Mr Cooney, who appeared with Elizabeth Howard Solicitors, Ballyowen, Lucan, Co Dublin, told Judge O’Donohue that liability had been conceded by Boots Retail (Ireland) Ltd and the court was being asked only to assess damages in the case.

Ms Carlile, 33, of Somerville Drive, Walkinstown, Dublin, and now a shop customer care assistant, said she had been working for Boots for two years prior to the accident and because of her pregnancy had been allowed to sit on a stool behind a sales till in the store.

On January 4th, 2017 the poster or "hero banner" had become dislodged from the wall, had fallen and struck her on the back of her head and neck pushing her head forward onto the cash till.

Shortly afterwards she had been suffering from headaches and stiffness in her neck and had attended her GP. Due to her pregnancy she had suffered from anxiety. Following the birth of her healthy baby she had been able to take stronger medication.

Awarding Ms Carlile damages for personal injury of €25,000 together with €1,700 expenses and her legal costs, Judge O’Donohue said she had suffered quite a shocking injury. She had suffered pain for two years and the whiplash type injury she had suffered had affected her enjoyment of having her first child.