High Court Approves €4m Settlement for Mayo Teen Paralysed After Childhood Fall

The High Court has approved a €4 million settlement for a teenager from Co Mayo who was left paralysed from the neck down after a fall at home when she was a young child. The settlement was reached without an admission of liability.

The girl, Roisin Tansey (16), is from Killasser, Swinford, Co Mayo. She was three years old when she fell from the back of an armchair while playing at home, sustaining a neck injury. In court, her legal team said the severity of the outcome was not something that would normally be expected from such a fall.

According to details aired in court, Roisin was taken to a local hospital after the accident on January 11, 2013. She was transferred in the early hours of the following day to Temple Street in Dublin. An MRI scan carried out around midday showed swelling in the spinal cord area, and she was moved to intensive care before undergoing complex surgery later that afternoon.

The court heard there was a medical factor that complicated the case: counsel said Roisin had a brain condition in which brain tissue extended into the spinal canal. Her legal team’s position was that by the time surgery was performed, weakness in her arms had progressed to paralysis.

Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street lodged a full defence, denying any delay and contesting the claim. The case was described as difficult in terms of proving liability and causation. The High Court was told the agreed figure represented roughly 30% of the “theoretical full value” of the claim if it went to trial and the plaintiff succeeded entirely.

Outside court, Roisin said the settlement marked the end of “a long journey” for her and her family. She said it could not restore what was lost, but that she was grateful for the support around her and intended to continue embracing life “with ambition, determination and hope”.

For the original reporting and full court detail, see the source coverage from The Irish Times.