Workman who injured himself fleeing from seagulls settles €60,000 damages claim

A workman, who was injured as he fled from attacking seagulls on the roof of a Dublin office block, has settled a €60,000 damages claim against six companies.

Judge Sarah Berkeley was told in the Circuit Civil Court on Thursday that Gavin Fox had accepted an undisclosed settlement offer and his claim could be struck out.

Barrister Dermot Francis Sheehan, who appeared with Tyrell Solicitors for Mr Fox, said he had been injured by a door as he tried to escape.

Mr Fox, a 47-year-old mechanical technician of St Brigid’s Avenue, North Strand, Dublin, had stepped out of a door on to the roof of the 2GC Building in Dublin city centre when a pair of nesting seagulls attacked. He ran to escape and injured his left hand as he burst through the doorway. The defence alleged Mr Fox pushed the door instead of pulling it.

Four-bed period house and mews a short walk from Greystones for €975,000

---

Have your say on ‘quiet quitting’: Do you feel pressure to work long hours?

---

Is the landlord or management company responsible for upgrading our windows?

---

Gerry Thornley: Anti-fun brigade detracted from occasion of the AIL final

---

He received four stitches to a deep hand wound in the VHI Swiftcare clinic in Swords on the day of the incident, missing a couple of days work and having to return after a week to have the stitches removed.

He sued his employer Vector Workplace and Facility Management. He also sued a number of companies associated with management of the building: Aramark Property Services and Aramark Ireland Holdings, all with an address at 70 Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2; as well as Rohan Holdings, Beaux House, Mercer Street Lower, Dublin 2; Jones Lang LaSalle; and Jones Lang LaSalle Services, both of Styne House, Hatch Street, Dublin 2.

He claimed all of the defendants owed him a duty of care and had been negligent in allowing seagulls to nest in a work area and failed to take adequate measures to control the number of seagulls.

Mr Sheehan told Judge Berkeley the case had been settled on the basis Mr Fox would recover damages within the €15,000 jurisdiction of the District Court.

Costs would be borne by the first three defendants, with agreed contributions by the remaining defendants.

Seagulls are protected birds and it is illegal to disturb them during the nesting season between March and June.