Woman who slipped on gravy awarded €25,000
A 54-YEAR-OLD catering assistant, who claimed she has ongoing back pain since she slipped and fell on a gravy spillage two years ago, has been awarded more than €25,000 damages against Dunnes Stores.
Vera Biskupova told the Circuit Civil Court that on January 13, 2015, she had been cleaning the deli counter at Dunnes Stores, Cornelscourt, Bray Road, Foxrock, Dublin, when she suddenly slipped and fell.
Ms Biskupova, with an address at Strollers Place, Ballyedmonduff Road, Stepaside, Dublin, but who now lives in Killarney, Co Kerry, said she fell heavily on her back and banged her head on the floor.
She told her barrister Paul Gallagher that she managed to get up and noticed that her hair, shoulder and back had been wet.
She said the large spillage smelled like gravy. She had not seen it on the floor before falling.
The court heard she finished her shift that day but had not been able to get out of bed the next day.
Mr Gallagher, who appeared with Mannion Solicitors, said Ms Biskupova had ongoing intermittent pain in her back.
She sued ex-employer Dunnes Stores for negligence, breach of contract and breach of duty.
Dunnes had denied all her allegations in a full defence. The company alleged that, following her accident, Ms Biskupova had not mentioned that she had slipped on gravy.
Awarding Ms Biskupova €25,234 damages, Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke said the place of work had been unsafe.
He said she could not be expected to be constantly looking at the floor and he therefore could not find any contributory negligence against her.