A toe injury sustained while playing footgolf has resulted in a €16,000 personal injury compensation award for an amateur goalkeeper at the Circuit Civil Court.
The legal action was taken by Stuart O’Dwyer of Glenhill Avenue, Finglas, Dublin 11, against Simon Rutledge of the White House pub restaurant, New Park, The Ward, Co Dublin in relation to the injury he sustained when
his right foot struck a metal stake which was hidden by long grass just off the 10th green at Mr Rutledge’s course.
Mr O’Dwyer, Leinster Senior League goalkeeper for Glasnevin FC, informed the Judge John O’Connor that he suffered the injury when he was trying to kick the ball out of the rough in a round of footgolf with his father on June 14, 2018.
The court was informed by Mr O’Dwyer’s legal representative, Barrister Laurence Masterson, that Mr Rutledge was not defended the claim. He added that judgment had been marked by the County Registrar against Mr Rutledge in the absence of an appearance in the case.
On the day of the game with his father he had kicked the ball off the 10th tee into very long grass. As he attempted to kick the ball onto the green his foot struck the metal spike that had been firmly placed in the ground and which was hidden by the grass.
Due to the collision with the spike, Mr O’Dwyer’s big toe was injured and he attended the emergency department of James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown afterwards. Here he was diagnosed a soft-tissue injury by
consultant in emergency medicine Dr JA McKeever.
The court was informed that Mr O’Dwyer, an amatuer goalkeeper in the Leinster Senior League with Glasnevin FC, had lost the nail on his big toe and he has a slight deformity in the shape of a small lump on the toe after the nail had grown back. In addition to this he had experienced extensive pain, discomfort and bruising in his toe. In the hospital his toe had been splinted with a buddy strap in the hospital where he had been provided with crutches.
Judge O’Connor said he felt compensation would fall in at the lower end of the Circuit Court jurisdiction and, as such, awarded Mr O’Dwyer €16,000 personal injury compensation legal costs against Mr Rutledge who was not in court, nor legally represented.