Carpenter's hand disfigurement led to stress and social anxiety

A Polish carpenter who had two fingers cut off by an industrial saw during the construction of the Limerick tunnel continues to suffer stress and social anxiety about the disfigurement of his hand, a doctor said at the High Court yesterday.

In the case taken by Antoni Jamroziewicz, aged 52, of Caherdavin, Co Limerick, Dr David Walsh gave evidence that the plaintiff had suffered increased stress and social anxiety because of the injury to his left hand.

While the doctor told Tom Creed, senior counsel for the plaintiff, that he would expect this to improve in time, he anticipated that Mr Jamroziewicz would continue to have down days and anxiety.

Dr Walsh said that while the injury had healed and the pain had eased, the physical presentation of his hand acted as a daily reminder.

Denis McCullogh, defence senior counsel, put it to the witness that 18 months previously he had recommended that the plaintiff should undergo a series of cognitive behaviour therapy sessions to mitigate the trauma and depression but that Mr Jamroziewicz had not done so.

Dr Walsh said that on reflection he was not sure if the plaintiff would have benefited from this psychological treatment as he was quite a stoic individual who may not be amenable to it.

John Logan, actuary, was called on behalf of the plaintiff, and Peter Byrne, actuary, was called on behalf of the defence, as was Pascal Cronin, manager with recruitment company O’Neill Brennan.

It was stated that the plaintiff could have been earning more than €1,000 net per week on the Limerick tunnel because of the long number of hours per week being worked at the time. Figures for what he might now expect to earn were put at various sums between €700 and €800.

The case continues today.