Girl who injured lip in Dublin creche awarded €30,000

A schoolgirl (14), who injured her lower lip in a creche 13 years ago, was on Tuesday awarded €30,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court.

Lauren L’Estrange was 14 months old when she suffered the injury in Giraffe Childcare creche at International Financial Services Centre, Dublin, her barrister John Martin told Judge Sarah Berkeley.

Lauren had been playing in the toddler’s play area of the creche on July 9th, 2005, and somehow had been struck by the handlebars of a tricycle, Mr Martin said.

He said no one had witnessed the incident so no one knew how it had happened. Lauren, who sued through her father John Paul L’Estrange, Old Quay, Strand Road, Sutton, Dublin 13, had been struck to the left side of her lower lip, suffering a small laceration.

Mr Martin said Lauren had not been supervised at the time and somehow had been struck in the mouth by the handlebars. She may have pulled it forward on herself.

Lauren had been treated at a doctor’s clinic near the creche before having been taken to Our Lady’s Hospital, Crumlin.

“The injury has resolved very well but there is a small residual scar about one millimetre in length which is not obvious from conversational distance,” Mr Martin told the court.

He said a plastic surgeon had advised that there was no necessity for cosmetic surgery.

The judge approved a settlement offer of €30,000 from the creche.