Settlements have been reached in High Court actions taken by a husband and wife who were injured when a Killarney hotel lift collapsed.
They are among a group of five people who are suing after being injured in the incident on July 9th 2011 at the Killarney Plaza Hotel.
They were returning to their rooms following a wedding when it is claimed the lift from the carpark failed to dock at its intended floor and dropped to the basement.
Former Garda Sergeant Patricia O’Leary from Co Meath previously told the court how she felt her leg break when the lift plummeted three floors and she had to be cut from the wreckage.
The 42-year-old mother-of-two, who has pain every day, had to retire from An Garda Siochana on medical grounds.
Ms O’Leary, her husband Garda Sergeant Andrew Meehan, his brothers Paul and Kevin Meehan and Kevin’s wife Jennie Wong who were all in the lift have sued Killarney Plaza Hotel owners, Shawcove Ltd, with registered offices at Castleisland.
They are also suing lift companies, Ellickson Engineering Ltd, which is in receivership, of Kilmurry, Waterford; Kilell Ltd also of Kilmurry, Waterford, Otis Ltd, Naas Road Business Park, Dublin and Otis Elevator Ireland Ltd of the same address, as well as lift components manufacturer Daldoss Elevetronic Spa of Valsugana, Italy.
It is claimed there was a failure to ensure the intended pathway from the car park was safe and free from hazard and there was a failure to install a proper functioning lift from the car park to the hotel.
The court heard liability was conceded in the case in 2019 and the cases are before the court for assessment of damages only.
The High Court heard that a confidential settlement has been reached in the cases of Ms O’Leary and her husband.
The court will today begin to hear the cases of the remaining three people.
