Is this Donegal’s unluckiest worker?
Seamus O’Donnell leaving court after receiving €20,000 in damages.
Engineer Seamus O’Donnell has had eight accidents throughout his life leaving him with a catalogue of injuries.
The 28 year old appeared in court after crashing into a truck during yet another accident.
He also crashed a quad, tripped, fell through a skylight, suffered a broken jaw on two occasions at work and was involved in three other crashes.
Mr O’Donnell of Drumoghill, Manorcunningham appeared before Letterkenny Circuit Civil Court in a personal injury claim against Liberty Insurance.
Despite all his previous accidents, the court heard that Mr O’Donnell has never taken a claim before the courts previously.
The court heard he was driving his brother’s Honda Civic at Brockagh, St Johnston, at 8pm on February 17, 2008.
He alleged that a Scania lorry being driven by David Nesbitt, from Ardagh, Lifford, reversed from a side road in front of him and a crash took place.
The 28 year old was rushed to Letterkenny hospital to be treated for leg and rib injuries.
He continued to suffer pains as a result of the various accidents, he told the court
He previously played a lot of football but cannot now run as a result of the latest smash.
A record of all of the victim’s previous accidents were contained in a file brought to court.
They included:
• He suffers a chest injury aged just 6 after he fell through a skylight in 1991
• In 2005 he suffers a broken jaw at work
• He suffers broken ribs in a car crash in February 2006
• He suffers another broken jaw in another work accident in September 2007
• The suffers leg and other injuries in a car crash in 2008 (current case)
• Soft tissue injuries when a car drove into him in Co Donegal in 2009
• Further minor injuries when he tripped and fell in Letterkenny in June 2011
• A broken bone in his chest when a Quad he was driving overturned on top of him in May 2012.
After reviewing the case Judge Mary Faherty said the lorry driver had been fully responsible for the 2008 crash.
However she said it was “extremely difficult” to decide to what extent other injuries suffered Mr O’Donnell in other injuries had contributed to his current ill-health.
But she said she believed compensation of €20,000 was appropriate and also awarded medical and legal costs in the case.