O'Callaghan v. Site Services Ltd.

The Plaintiff left school at age 14/15 and worked as store-boy with an engineering company, later as helper to a van driver, then found his way into labouring work, and he has worked in this capacity with several different employers in England and Ireland until the occurrence of an accident in which he was involved on the 16th May, 1985, while in the employment of the Defendants.

Since that time the Plaintiff has had various forms of treatment all of which, he deposes, were of little avail, and gave him only temporary relief. He had courses of physiotherapy, and a further course of three epidural injections over a three-month period at Mr. Cahill's suggestion, between November, 1986, and January, 1987. He continues to complain of pain in his lower back with pins and needles extending down into his left leg. He has been taking pain-killing tablets since the accident and was supplied with a surgical corset which he says he wears constantly except at night.

Another major complaint is one of psychiatric disorder which the Plaintiff claims has evolved over the years since the happening of the accident and which is said to have been brought on by the traumatic experience of the accident, and the pain and suffering caused him by his injuries, with consequential disruption of the way of life formerly enjoyed by him.

Liability for the accident was initially denied by the Defendant, but is no longer in issue between the parties, and there only remains for decision the assessment of damages to which the Plaintiff is entitled in respect of the accident in which he was involved.

For the Defence, medical evidence as to the Plaintiff's complaints of physical disability was given by Mr. St. John O'Connell, Consultant Surgeon, and as to his psychiatric complaints by Dr. Patrick Murray.