Grandmother dislocated shoulder at carpark fall

A 72-year-old grandmother who slipped and fell in a supermarket carpark on what she claimed were recently painted ground markings has settled her High Court action.

Mary Parnell, a mother of seven and a grandmother of 18, had claimed she had slipped on the ground lines painted yellow at what was then the Superquinn supermarket in Finglas, Dublin.

The pensioner, from Hillcrest Park, Glasnevin, Dublin had sued the supermarket owners, at the time Superquinn Ltd as well as Limham Ltd which was responsible for carrying out the works at the car park, and Highway Markings Ltd, which painted the ground markings. She dislocated her right shoulder in the November 29, 2011, fall.

Mrs Parnell had claimed there was an alleged failure to warn her by a sign or other notification that the ground of the carpark was wet and slippery and that there was a risk of slipping.

She further claimed there was an alleged failure to cordon off the area of the wet paint and an alleged failure to anticipate the risk of slipping.

The defendants denied the claims and contended there was contributory negligence on the part of Mrs Parnell.

In evidence, Mrs Parenll said she had gone to her local Superquinn to buy meat for dinner.

She said it was a very wet day and, as she walked from her car to the supermarket, she suddenly fell forward on to her hands. She said she was carrying a handbag and an umbrella and found it hard to get up.

She said in a later visit to Australia she was unable to hold her grandchildren or to swim in her son’s swimming pool.

Mrs Parnell said her hands got tired when she was hanging clothes out on the line and while she could, before the accident, do 50 lengths of the public pool she could now only do 40.

She said she slipped on the yellow lines and if there had been a sign saying wet paint she would have not walked in that part of the carpark.

After talks between the sides, Mr Justice Michael Hanna was told the case had been settled and could be struck out.