A 16 year old schoolgirl who suffered 45 per cent burns on her body after her nightdress burst into flames six years ago is to receive £300,000 compensation from Dunnes Stores. The settlement was approved in the High Court in Cork yesterday.
Ms Deirdre Quinlan, from Farnagark, Kilbrittain, Co Cork, sued the retailing chain through her mother for the massive burns she suffered in the accident which happened in the living room of her home on January 12th, 1991.
While agreeing to the settlement, solicitor Mr Richard Hogan said liability was an issue where Dunnes Stores was concerned.
Dr John O'Mahony SC said Ms Quinlan was in the sitting room of her home with her two year old brother, Nigel. She felt he was falling towards the fire and she went to protect him.
"She leaned across the fire wearing a nightdress and dressing gown, both of which carried the St Bernard label. The right hand corner of the nightdress went on fire all of a sudden. Both garments were ablaze more or less instantaneously, indicating that the flammability of the fabric was very high," said Dr O'Mahony.
"She ran out into the hallway and luckily for her she fell against the wall there, which helped to protect her back from burning. Some 45 per cent of her body from her neck to her knees was burned and she spent 13 weeks in the burns isolation unit of the hospital where she was on life supporting equipment for some time."
He said for a year Ms Quinlan had to wear plastic covering all over her body to protect the scars and she also had to return to hospital in February 1992, for operative procedures.
"Despite all this, Deirdre comes from a very stable, supportive and secure family environment and she has made a remarkable recovery against very serious adversity. She is a scout leader in Kilbrittain and she is very good in school. She wants to be a teacher and it looks as if she will secure that ambition."
The nightclothes were purchased in Dunnes Stores in Bishopstown, Cork, in 1989. They carried no warnings about the danger of flammability. Dr O'Mahony said the fire spread so quickly it was very likely that the garments would not have passed flammability tests.
Asked about the liability issue by Ms Justice Laffoy, Dr O'Mahony said Dunnes Stores, if the case had gone to hearing, would have strongly contested this issue on the grounds that it had very stringent quality control screening measures.