What compensation for personal injury actually covers Introduction Compensation in a personal injury claim has two components, and they are assessed on entirely different principles. General damages compensate for the injury itself: the pain, the suffering, the loss of the ability to enjoy life. Special damages compensate for the financial losses the injury has caused:

How documents are obtained from the other side, and what must be disclosed in return Introduction Much of the evidence in a personal injury claim is in the hands of the defendant. The employer holds the risk assessment, the training records and the maintenance log; the shop holds the cleaning schedule and the CCTV; the

Introduction The case of Bradley v Córas Iompair Éireann [1976] IR 217 concerns a workplace accident in which the Plaintiff, a railway signalman, suffered injury following a fall from a fixed ladder while carrying out routine maintenance duties. The incident arose in the course of his employment and required him to work alone at height

Introduction The case of Dalton v Frendo concerns a workplace accident in which the Plaintiff, an experienced carpenter, suffered injury while carrying out work at height using a ladder provided by the Defendant. The accident arose in circumstances where the Plaintiff was required to perform manual work involving cutting overhead branches, with the inherent risks

Introduction The decision in Quinn v Bradbury [2011] IEHC is a significant High Court authority on employer liability in the context of workplace risk, instruction, and supervision. The case is most frequently cited for the formulation of the employer’s duty to identify workplace hazards and to take reasonable, practicable steps to guard against those risks. It

Introduction The case of Sweeney v Duggan [1997] 2 IR 531 arises from a serious workplace accident in which the Plaintiff, a long-serving labourer, suffered injury while working in a quarry environment. The proceedings highlight not only the risks inherent in physically demanding and hazardous workplaces, but also the potentially severe consequences for employees where adequate

Introduction The recognition of psychological injury in the Irish courts has long been characterised by tension between compassion for genuine mental suffering and the policy need to contain liability within manageable bounds. The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dillon v Irish Life Assurance plc [2025] IESC 37 reasserts the classical position that only a medically

Introduction The case of Kennedy v Hughes Dairy Ltd [1989] ILRM 117 arises from a workplace accident in which the Plaintiff, a forklift truck driver, sustained a laceration to his forearm after falling while carrying a crate of milk bottles in an environment where broken glass was a routine feature of the work. The Plaintiff’s duties

Introduction The decision in Walsh v Juniper Orthodontics Ltd [2026] IEHC 99 concerns a workplace accident in which the Plaintiff, a dental assistant, sustained an ankle injury after tripping on the hose of a vacuum cleaner while cleaning a staircase in the course of her employment. The case is of particular significance as a recent High

Introduction   Recent and longstanding High Court authorities demonstrate a consistent and structured approach to employer liability in Irish workplace injury claims. While fact‑specific in their application, The cases of Quinn v Bradbury [2011] IEHC, Kennedy v Hughes Dairy Ltd [1989] ILRM 117, and Walsh v Juniper Orthodontics Ltd [2026] IEHC 99 together provide a