Woman slips on Trim hotel floor and sues

A woman who claims she slipped and fell as she left an hotel after having Sunday lunch has sued for damages in the High Court.

Deirdre Walsh told Ms Justice Bronagh O'Hanlon she was walking out of the restaurant area at The Castle Arch Hotel, Dublin Road, Trim, Co Meath, when she slipped on what she thought was water on the ground.

“I ended up sitting on the floor. I slipped on something, I assumed it was water. My underwear and tights were wet,” she said.

Ms Walsh said she hurt her elbow, back and left leg, later had to have surgery and now has difficulties doing activities with her children. She has to sit to watch her daughter showjumping, she added.

Ms Walsh (43), Parkstown View, Ballivor, Co Meath, has sued the hotel owners, Castle Arch Hotel Limited and Cusack Hotels Limited, with offices at Dublin Road, Trim, Co Meath, as a result of the incident on May 10th, 2015.

She alleges failure to have any or any adequate system of cleaning or drying the floor on the premises and to warn her and others of the alleged condition of the floor. She says she fell heavily, injuring her left elbow, lower back and left leg suffered a significant exacerbation of a previous back injury from a road crash.

The claims are denied.

Aggravated pain

Opening the case, Diarmuid O’Donovan SC, for Ms Walsh, said she was a care assistant at the time and soldiered on at work but lifting aggravated her pain and she has not worked since December 2015. As a result, the case includes a substantial claim for loss of earnings, he said.

In evidence Ms Walsh said her life has completely changed and she went from being an outgoing person who liked to dress up to a person who remained indoors.

Finbarr Fox SC, for the hotel, asked Ms Walsh during cross-examination about Facebook photos which showed her dressed up as an American policeman holding a mock pistol. Ms Walsh said that was part of a charity event and it and other pictures on her Facebook account were taken in the years before the accident.

The case continues.