Courts

Woman settles €60,000 damages claim against Irish Rail over leg injury suffered at Dart station

Vera Aherne (87) sued transport firm over 2018 incident in which she lost a half litre of blood

Vera Aherne's shin was gouged open when her leg fell between the platform and train at Harmonstown Dart station six years ago. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien

Ray Managh
Thu Apr 11 2024 - 13:41

An 87-year-old woman who lost half a litre of blood when she cut her leg at an Irish Rail station has settled a €60,000 damages claim against the transport firm on undisclosed terms.

Vera Aherne, of Glenwood Road, Raheny, Dublin, sued following an incident in which her right shin was gouged open after her leg fell between the platform and train at Harmonstown Dart station six years ago.

Ms Aherne alleged that her leg struck the Dart carriage which caused a four-inch (10cm) wound. The Circuit Civil Court heard it was estimated that she lost half a litre of blood at the scene.

The court heard the woman’s leg had to be freed before she received first aid and was conveyed on the train to Clontarf Road station, where she was met by an ambulance and taken to the Mater hospital’s emergency department to have the wound cleaned and stitched.

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The stitches had to be removed a fortnight later and Ms Aherne had to make three subsequent visits to specialists, the court heard.

Ms Aherne, who was 81 at the time of the incident, claimed she suffered pain for a significant period as a result of the injury and that it impacted on her normal life at home and in public.

Barrister Dáithí Mac Cárthaigh, who appeared for Ms Aherne with Tom Brabazon of Brabazon Solicitors, told Judge Christopher Callan that the case had settled following talks between the legal teams and could be struck out.

Simon Kearns, counsel for Irish Rail, said the company wished to extend its best wishes to Ms Aherne. No details of the financial settlement were disclosed in court.

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