Camogie coach awarded €47,000 in personal injury claim after slipping on seating at a GAA pitch in Co Tipperary, upheld by Court of Appeal.

A camogie coach in Ireland has won an appeal against a GAA pitch who argued it had no liability for injuries she sustained when she slipped whilst stepping over seats at a pitch in Roscrea in 2017. Liza Carroll suffered facial injuries, which led to a personal injury award of €47,000, after her studded boots caught on a galvanised surface as she stepped over several rows of seating to look over a wall to see who was arriving for training. The defendants argued that they should have no liability because of the plaintiff’s failure to take care, but the Court of Appeal ruled that the defendant had been negligent and did not undertake a proper risk assessment of the seating. Engineering evidence demonstrated that the slip resistance which existed when the bare concrete seating was installed had been lost when cladding was added, and this had increased the risk of slipping. Whilst it was conceded there was an element of contributory negligence by the complainant, the club was still responsible for failing in their duty towards their member.