Garda injured when lift in Kerry hotel fell three floors to the ground settles case – Irish Examiner

A garda who suffered injuries when the lift he was in at a Kerry hotel plummeted three floors to the ground has settled his High Court action.

Paul Meehan, 45, helped other members of his extended family who were seriously injured when the lift at the Killarney Plaza Hotel crashed into the basement car park 10 years ago.

He helped pull the doors of the lift open after it buckled on impact as those inside shouted for help.

In the High Court on Tuesday, the Meehan family counsel Richard Kean SC, with Barney Quirke SC, told Mr Justice Michael Hanna that Mr Meehans case was the last one before the courts in relation to the lift fall and it had been resolved.

Mr Justice Hanna congratulated the parties on reaching a settlement.

After he had helped with other members of his family, Mr Meehan was put in a neck brace and stretchered out of the basement to hospital.

It was later discovered he had suffered injuries to his lower back and knees.

It was claimed he later suffered extreme pain in his knees when he tried to return to sports or running and after any such exertion he would be unable to walk for a few days.

Post traumatic stress

It was also said he suffered daily back pain, had flashbacks of the accident and was diagnosed as suffering from post traumatic stress.

Paul Meehan, from Lucan, Dublin, had sued the hotel owners, Shawcove Ltd with registered offices at Castleisland, Co Kerry, and companies involved in installing and maintaining lifts Ellickson Engineering Ltd, in receivership of Kilmurry, Waterford; Kilell Ltd also of Kilmurry, Waterford; and Otis Ltd, Naas Road Business Park, Dublin and Otis Elevator Ireland Ltd of the same address, as well as lift components manufacturer Daldoss Elevetronic Spa of Valsugana, Italy.

It was claimed there was a failure to ensure the intended pathway from the car park was safe and free from hazard. There was a failure, it was also claimed, to install a proper functioning lift from the car park to the hotel.

Mr Meehan is one of five from the same extended family who sued over the accident as they tried to return to their rooms in the Killarney Plaza Hotel after a wedding ceremony on July 9, 2011.

His brother, Kevin Meehan from Celbridge, Co Kildare, who suffered multiple severe injuries in the lift accident was last week awarded 508,000 by the High Court.

His wife Jennie Wong settled her action on confidential terms and Andrew Meehan and his wife Patricia OLeary, both garda from Co Meath, also settled their actions on confidential terms.

Liability conceded

The court has previously heard liability was conceded in the case in 2019 and the cases were before the court for assessment of damages only.

In 2017, engineering company Ellickson Engineering Ltd now in receivership was fined 750,000 after it was found guilty at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court of a single breach of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act over the installation of the hotel lift in and around April 2004.

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Garda injured when lift in Kerry hotel fell three floors to the ground settles case - Irish Examiner