Former cleaner settles €60,000 claim over needle stick injury in Dublin’s Convention Centre

A man who claimed he had suffered a significant physical and psychological injuries when cleaning a women’s lavatory at the Dublin Convention Centre, has settled a €60,000 personal injuries claim for an undisclosed sum.

Tomasz Szlezak (33), who has returned to live in his native Poland since suffering the needle-stick injury in March 2019, sued his former employers Patrick Anthony Cagney, of Hillcrest Estate, Lucan, Co Dublin, who trades as Cagney Contract Cleaning and Cagney Maintenance Services Ltd.

Judge James McCourt heard in the Circuit Civil Court that the needle end of a hypodermic, concealed in a bloody sanitary towel, stuck into Mr Szleak’s thumb as he removed a plastic liner from a bin.

Mr Szlezak told his barrister John Nolan, who appeared with Tracey Solicitors, that he was trained by his employer how to empty bathroom sanitary bins. 

Landmark Baker’s Corner pub for sale with full planning for student accommodation scheme at €7m

---

Busby Babes’ close call with Rovers shows Dublin once had the talent to call itself a European soccer city

---

“People think ‘there are hostages – it is what it is’. But there are families who cannot carry on with their lives”

---

Stripe weighs deal for new Dublin headquarters at Wilton Park

---

When shown a document by defence barrister Paul McKeon, which stated the claimant had received specific training on how to do so, Mr Szlezak confirmed it contained his name and signature but denied having received training.

Infections disease clinic

He claimed that after having placed the hypodermic needle in a yellow container for hazardous objects, he attended the Mater Hospital where he received immediate and ongoing treatment in the infectious disease clinic.

Mr Szlezak said that having been given the all-clear six months after the incident, he continued taking prescription anti-retroviral medication. He had received a psychiatric assessment in which it was recorded that he suffered anxiety, insomnia, nightmares and flashbacks. He had become gloomy, stopped socialising and lost interest in sex, the court heard.

When Mr McKeon told the court that Michelle Murray would give evidence of Mr Szlezak having received specific training on how to safely empty the bins, as outlined on the document he signed, Judge McCourt, after stating the document was crucial to the case, invited the parties to have talks.

Ten minutes later Mr Nolan said the case could be struck out with no further order and all existing orders with regards to legal costs could also be struck out.