I wasn’t allowed take pants off after burn, woman claims

A 58-YEAR-OLD woman has told a court she was prevented from taking off her trousers in a cafe after scalding her leg with water.

Maureen Connelly, of Castlerea, Co Roscommon, said in the Circuit Civil Court in Dublin that she burned her leg after a cup containing very hot water broke in her hand.

Ms Connelly told Judge Jacqueline Linnane that on May 22, 2009, she had been in Dunnes Stores cafeteria in Roscommon with a friend when the accident occurred.

She claimed she lifted the cup to take a drink but that the handle came apart from it, with the water splashing her trousers and burning her thigh.

Ms Connelly told the court she screamed with pain but was prevented from removing her trousers in the restaurant by a member of the staff.

She said the staff member accompanied her to the bathroom where burn gel was applied to her leg.

The court heard Ms Connelly was approached by the store manager who asked her if she wanted him to call for an ambulance or a taxi. She refused both, drove home and went to her family doctor.

Agnes Burns, who works in the cafeteria, told the court the cup had not broken as Ms Connelly alleged.

“It was left intact on the table,” she said.

Ms Burns told Judge Linnane she had been the first staff member on the scene of the incident.

“She told me she had knocked her cup over,” she said.

The court heard that a week after the incident, Ms Connelly had written a letter to Dunnes Stores, which has denied liability, without mentioning that the cup had broken.

Judge Linnane, dismissing Ms Connelly’s claim, said she had failed to prove her case by producing evidence of negligence on the part of the store.