Dublin Airport check-in clerk awarded €16,000 damages

A former check-in clerk at Dublin Airport has been awarded more than €16,000 damages at the High Court over straining her back when she lifted a piece of baggage.

Agnieszka Spyra went to the High Court after a Circuit Court judge dismissed her case and awarded costs against her.

On Thursday, Mr Justice Kevin Cross awarded Ms Spyra a total €16,650 over the accident.

Ms Spyra (36), Ridgewood Close, Swords, Co Dublin had sued her employer MK Human Resources Ltd of Glasnevin, Dublin and Ryanair as a result of the incident which happened on July 28th, 2011 as she checked in passengers at 4.45am.

It was claimed her duties at the time included lifting the last bag for the flight from the conveyor belt and placing a sticker on it indicating the flight was closed before returning it to the coveyor belt.

It was claimed there was an unsafe system of work and the check in desk was unsuitable for manually lifting bags on to the conveyor belt by the check in staff.

Mr Justice Kevin Cross said he found the defendants liable on grounds including his view Ms Spyra’s training regarding the lifting of baggage was not sufficient and should have been “site speciific”.

He found 20 per cent contributory negligence on behalf of Ms Spyra, which reduced the €20,800 award to €16,650. He also awarded the costs of both the High Court and Circuit Court to Ms Spyra.

Mr Justice Cross said there was contributory negligence because Ms Spyra knew what she ought to have done handling the bag which wieighed between seven and eight kg. She should have turned her body and not twisted when picking up the luggage but on this occasion she did not do that.

The judge catergorised the injury as mild. Her back was painful for four days and she had to take painkillers and have physiotherapy, he said.