A Galway worker recovers damages for a preventable workplace accident
Miroslava had worked in the commercial kitchen of a busy Galway restaurant for three years. On a rainy Tuesday evening in November, whilst crossing the kitchen floor, her foot slipped on the wet tiles. She fell hard, fracturing her ankle badly. It turned out she wasn't the first person to slip on that floor. Several months earlier, Miroslava had raised safety concerns with her manager about the lack of non-slip mats and appropriate footwear provision. Her requests had been noted but never acted upon.
After seeking legal advice, Miroslava pursued a workplace injury compensation claim. Her solicitor gathered evidence of her repeated requests for safety improvements, photographs of the kitchen conditions, and medical records documenting her fractured ankle. The injury required surgery and six months of physiotherapy. Beyond the immediate pain and healing period, Miroslava developed lasting difficulties with walking and climbing stairs—problems that would affect her ability to work in the kitchen environment long-term.
The court awarded Miroslava compensation that covered her medical expenses, loss of earnings during her recovery, and significantly, a sum for future losses. This reflected the realistic prospect that her ankle injury would prevent her from returning to kitchen work and would limit her earning capacity in other roles. The employer's failure to respond to clear safety warnings, combined with the breach of their legal duty of care, strengthened the case considerably. Miroslava's award acknowledged not just what she had already lost, but what she stood to lose in the years ahead.
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, employers have a clear legal duty to maintain a safe place of work. This includes taking steps to prevent slips, trips and falls—particularly in environments like kitchens where wet floors are foreseeable. Section 8 of the Act requires employers to ensure the safety and health of employees by, among other things, maintaining safe premises and providing appropriate equipment and protective measures.
When an employee raises legitimate safety concerns and an employer ignores them, this demonstrates negligence and a breach of duty. The fact that Miroslava had formally requested non-slip footwear and floor safety measures made the employer's inaction even more culpable. Courts take such ignored warnings very seriously because they show the employer knew, or ought to have known, of the hazard and chose not to address it.
In Ireland, you generally have two years from the date of your workplace injury to bring a personal injury claim. This is a strict deadline. Even if your case seems straightforward, delaying beyond this period can result in your claim being struck out. If you have suffered a workplace injury, it is essential to seek legal advice promptly to protect your rights. Do not wait until the deadline approaches.
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