A RETIRED garda who was a driver for former taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald has settled his High Court action over spinal injuries allegedly suffered as a result of assisting in lifting wheelchair-user Joan FitzGerald from the car and because of alleged defects in the Garda vehicle.
Gerard Staunton (56), Dunboyne, Co Meath, had brought his case against the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice.
In his statement of claim, Mr Staunton alleged he suffered injuries in June 1995 while carrying out duties as an assistant and driver to Dr FitzGerald and his late wife, Joan, in a vehicle specially adapted for transporting wheelchair users.
Among various claims, he alleged that the defendants failed to train him adequately or at all in relation to the lifting of wheelchair users into and out of the vehicle, failed to provide an adequate number of employees to work with him and had failed to ensure the vehicle he was driving was designed either adequately or for the lifting of wheelchair users.
The defendants had denied the claims.
The case was listed to open earlier this week but before the proceedings began, Hugh Mohan SC, for Mr Staunton, told Ms Justice Mary Irvine the case had been settled and could be struck out. No details of the settlement were revealed in court.
In the proceedings, it was also alleged by Mr Staunton that he was driving near Harold’s Cross Bridge, Dublin, in November 1995 when the seat of his vehicle collapsed completely.
He claimed he left the vehicle into the Garda depot for repair but the same thing happened again about three days later when he was driving along Palmerstown Road.
As a result of these incidents, he claimed he suffered additional personal injury, loss and damage.
He submitted that the authorities failed to ensure the vehicle he was provided with for transporting the FitzGeralds was safe and free from defects.
As a result of the alleged failures of the defendants, Mr Staunton claimed he suffered a sustained persistent lower spinal pain which radiated down his left leg to the foot and toes.
The retired garda alleged intermittent pain and stiffness in his neck along with persistent left shoulder pain radiating down to his left arm and into his fingers with an associated tingling sensation and numbness.
The pain in his left shoulder had deteriorated to such an extent that he had practically no left shoulder movement and the slightest movement caused pain, it was claimed.