Girl gets €125k for scooter fall

A girl who injured her elbow when her electric scooter hit a raised section of footpath in Dublin has settled a High Court damages action for €125,000.

Charlotte Clapperton was nine when she had the accident at Tyrconnell Rd, Inchicore, on May 31, 2007. Her counsel told the High Court the footpath was raised because of tree roots.

Barrister John Nolan said the girl had to have two operations to her left elbow and still has difficulty. He said she was a keen gymnast and Irish dancer before the accident but had to find other pastimes since her fall.

Charlotte, from Bluebell, Dublin, had sued Dublin City Council through her mother. She claimed the council permitted a raised section to be present on the footpath which constituted a nuisance and a hazard for users.

Ms Justice Mary Irvine who inspected the 10cm scar said it was not as bad as she had anticipated and her injury was not going to affect Charlotte in the future.