Woman sues for damages after slipping on spilled cream in Dunnes Stores

By Ann O'Loughlin

A woman who claims she slipped on cream on the floor of a Dunnes Stores supermarket has sued in the High Court.

Maureen Curran fractured her right wrist in the fall five years ago and still has to wear a splint most days, she told Mr Justice Kevin Cross.

Ms Curran claims she was walking in a normal manner along the dairy aisle at the Cavan town store when her legs went from under her and she slipped on a cream spillage which was being mopped up by staff.

‘My feet went from under me. I landed sideways,’ she said.

Her counsel Hugh O Keeffe SC opening the case said the fall had been captured on CCTV.

He said Ms Curran “came to grief” and she could not have expected the hazard in that area. He submitted to the court the performance of the cleaning operation of the cream spillage was wholly inadequate and only one warning sign was placed on the aisle.

Counsel said cream is a fatty substance and the use of water to mop it only managed to spread the cream over the floor. He said it was their case paper towels should have been used.

He said people were allowed to traverse through the area as the cleaning process was going on. His side contended it took between twelve and fourteen minutes after the accident for Dunnes to be satisfied the area was clean.

Ms Curran (64) Tymonville Court, Tallaght Dublin has sued Dunnes Stores as a result of the accident at Dunnes Stores, Cavan Town on September 3, 2013. She has also sued her employer at the time Glanbia PLC with offices at Glanbia House, Kilkenny.

She has claimed against Dunnes Stores there was an alleged failure to have an adequate cleaning system in operation at the Cavan town store at the time of the incident and there was an alleged failure to warn her of the danger posed by the spillage.

She has claimed against Glanbia that there was an alleged failure to take any or any adequate precautions for her safety while she was engaged in her work. The claims are denied.

In evidence Ms Curran told the court at the time she was a business development manager with Glanbia and travelled around the country checking on the company’s products in supermarkets.

She said on September 3,2013 at the Cavan town Dunnes Stores she was going to check on a particular product in the dairy aisle. Four or five feet from a warning sign, she said her feet went from under her. She said she got up but it was only when she reached for her phone, she realised her hand did not work as it should.

Cross examined by Marcus F Daly SC for Dunnes Ms Curran agreed the accident happened in a split second. She agreed she went back to work when the cast on her hand came off eight weeks later and she continued to work until she was made redundant by Glanbia around a year later.

The case before Mr Justice Kevin Cross continues tomorrow.