Boy who broke elbow falling from bouncy castle awarded €40,000

A 10-year-old Co Meath boy, who broke his left elbow when he fell from a bouncy castle, is to receive €40,000 compensation from the Co Kildare hotel where the accident happened.

Barrister Tom Clarke told the Circuit Civil Court it was not known if Rean Jay Cabangal had been pushed or pulled off the castle during horseplay as there had been no adult supervision at the time.

Mr Clarke, who appeared with Dillon Geraghty Solicitors, told Judge Pauline Codd that Rean, of Supple Hall, Dunshaughlin, had suffered a grossly displaced fracture of his elbow.

He had been taken to Crumlin Children's Hospital where he had undergone immediate surgery to correct the break with the use of K Wires. His arm had been in plaster for six weeks.

Rean, through his mother Leonida Sanico, had sued Moriarty Investments Limited, trading as the Courtyard Hotel, Leixlip, and Ian Radford and Laura Boland, who trade as Dreamtime Bouncy Castles, Lucan, Co Dublin, for €60,000 damages.

Mr Clarke said Rean had been attending an after-lunch play-around in the hotel grounds with a group of friends following a confirmation service on April 23rd, 2016 when the accident happened.

He said there had been no adult supervision of the bouncy castle. It had been a requirement of the bouncy castle company that the hotel would provide supervision at all times when it was in use.

Although the court order approving the €40,000 settlement was made against both defendants it is believed the hotel had given Dreamtime Bouncy Castles an undertaking to accept responsibility for compromising the legal proceedings.

Dr Ahmad Jabal, in a medical report, stated Rean’s injury was potentially a very serious one often associated with damage to nerves and blood vessels and he was very fortunate to have made such a good recovery. Rean, now aged 15, had been back playing football within six months of the accident.

Judge Codd approved the €40,000 settlement which will remain in court funds until Rean is 18 on September 10th, 2023.