Courts

Settlement reached in case of risk analyst allegedly injured by woman dancing in bar

Helen Mooney hit her head after woman dancing to Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean allegedly became unstable and fell

Helen Mooney said she had hit her head in the fall, ending up with a swollen forehead. Photograph: Collins Courts

Thu Dec 7 2023 - 13:44

A settlement has been reached in a case brought by a financial risk analyst who fell in a Dublin cocktail bar when, she claims, another patron knocked her to the ground while dancing to a Michael Jackson song.

Helen Mooney was in The Odeon Bar on Harcourt Street and trying to pass a group of five people, which included two women dancing, when the alleged accident happened on December 5th, 2014.

The 39-year-old told the High Court the woman was dancing with her arms in the air to Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean when she became unstable, fell and took Ms Mooney down with her.

She says she hit her head in the fall and ended up with a swollen forehead.

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On the second day of the hearing on Thursday, Mr Justice Denise Brett was told the case had been settled.

Ms Mooney’s senior counsel, Peter Bland, told the court he was delighted to say the case had been settled and could be struck out. He also asked the judge to note there was no claim for loss of earnings and none paid out.

In her evidence, Ms Mooney told the court she was attending a work event after finishing a project and she noticed the group of five when they came into the bar because, she said, they were loud and rowdy.

She said they got louder and moved into the space reserved for her company event.

After the fall she said she was quite shocked.

“I went back to my table. I was extremely embarrassed. I had only been working with my company for a month,” she said.

She said there was a bruise the size of a golf ball on her head and her whole forehead was swollen and she had no expression on that side of her face for two weeks.

She said she has been left with numbness on the left side of her forehead and temple.

Ms Mooney, of Scotch Street, Downpatrick, Co Down, has sued Bolway Investments Ltd, Kivaway Ltd, trading as The Odeon, Widestar Ltd, and Pawnbeach Ltd, all with registered offices at South William Street, Dublin who are the owners of The Odeon Bar, Harcourt Street, Dublin.

It was claimed that there was an alleged failure to take any or any adequate precaution for her safety while she attended the premises.

She further claimed that patrons were allegedly allowed to become intoxicated to such an extent that they posed a source of danger and a threat to people lawfully present on the premises.

She further claimed that the premises had allegedly been allowed to become overcrowded to such an extent that it rendered the bar unmanageable.

All of the claims were denied.

Under cross-examination by Declan Buckley, for the defendants, Ms Mooney said she did not think when the incident happened the premises was overcrowded.

She said she did not feel threatened but she did not expect “the danger that was there”.

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