A settlement of £60,000 for the widow and five children of a carpenter who died after a fall while renovating a house in Co Donegal has been approved by the High Court.
Mrs Ann Jordan, of Ardaghey, Inver, took proceedings against Harvey Brothers Mountcharles Ltd after her husband, Patrick Martin Jordan (40), died on June 20th, 1995, the day after he fell from the window of a bathroom at a house near Killybegs.
It was claimed his fall and subsequent death were due to the negligence of Harvey Brothers, Mr Jordan's employer, in failing to provide a safe system of work, proper equipment and scaffolding, and management, supervision, care and control of his work.
Harvey Brothers, with a registered office at Turrishill, Mountcharles, denied the claims.
The action opened before Mr Justice Shanley on Tuesday. After talks between the sides, Mr Justice Shanley agreed to an application by Mr Harry Whelehan SC, for Mrs Jordan, to approve a settlement of £60,000 and costs. The settlement was made without admission of liability.
Mr Whelehan had said Mr Jordan was employed as a carpenter by the defendants for several years. On June 19th, 1995, he was carrying out renovations to a house belonging to Mr and Mrs Seamus Tully at Brook Hill, Killybegs.
It was claimed that while attempting to remove TV aerial wires from a second-floor bathroom window Mr Jordan fell to the ground, suffering a fractured skull and brain injuries from which he died on June 20th.
Mr Whelehan said there were no witnesses to the accident, but it appeared Mr Jordan was attempting to cut wires protruding from the bathroom window. Harvey Brothers denied it was guilty of negligence or breach of duty. It also denied it failed to provide a safe system of work for Mr Jordan.