A €30,000 settlement of compensation for a cut finger injury has been approved at the Circuit Civil Court in favour of a six-year-old boy.
The young boy was only sixteen months old when he cut the middle finger of his right hand on the sharp edge of a wall-mounted fire while playing in the family home. The boy was taken to the Accident & Emergency Department of Crumlin Hospital, where damage to two tendons, a nerve and an artery was identified.
The boy underwent surgery to repair the tendons and nerve damage, and he was discharged from hospital in a cast that he had to wear for six weeks. Fortunately the boy has recovered full functionality of his right hand and the scars he has from the accident are likely to improve over the next few years – leaving no significant impact.
Through his father, the boy claimed compensation for a cut finger injury against B&Q Ireland Limited – the store at which the fire had been purchased – and the manufacturers of the fire, Focal Point Fires of Frampton Street in London. Both defendants acknowledged liability for the fault that had caused the injury, and an offer of compensation for a cut finger injury was made amounting to €30,000.
At the Circuit Civil Court in Dublin, Judge James O´Donohoe heard how the young boy had sustained his injury and the action that had been taken by his parents to get him to hospital in a timely manner. He was told his parents had been concerned about the cosmetic appearance of scars on his fingers and that he now uses his hand for all functions without difficulty or pain.
After inspecting the boy´s hand and hearing from a Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon about the low possibility of permanent scarring, Judge O´Donohoe approved the settlement of compensation for a cut finger injury, commenting that it was adequate in the circumstances.