Man died after being kicked in head by horse

A MAN who sustained a serious head injury after being kicked by a horse on Christmas Day was rushed to a Dublin hospital for an urgent neurosurgical review when his condition rapidly deteriorated. But he died before the review could be carried out.

Maurice O’Brien, aged 51, of Derrynanool, Mitchelstown, Co Cork, died at Beaumont Hospital on June 24, 2006, six months after he sustained the head injury on December 25, 2005.

Mr O’Brien began suffering from severe headaches three weeks before his death while he was a patient at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, caid counsel for the family, Harold Brooks.

When his brother Conor O’Brien visited him in hospital on Wednesday, June 21, and found him vomiting blood, he became concerned. The family began making every effort to have Mr O’Brien transferred to an acute medical hospital.

Consultant in rehabilitation medication who saw Mr O’Brien on June 22, Dr Mark Delargy said he had not been informed Mr O’Brien had been vomiting blood the previous day. Upon examining him and consulting the medical notes, he said he became concerned that Mr O’Brien was experi encing a leakage in his brain and considered referring him back to CUH. But he was advised by staff at CUH to refer him to Beaumont.

Mr O’Brien was transferred there at 8pm on Friday and died the following morning.

According to Prof Michael Farrelly, Mr O’Brien died from shock and asyphysia due to the rupture of a pseudo-aneurysm.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell told the court Mr O’Brien had died from complications resulting from the injuries he incurred in December 2005 and returned a verdict of accidental death.