Sign-fitter settles High Court action against former employer

A sign-fitter has settled his High Court action against his former employer over claims he injured his back while lifting large aluminium sheets onto a van in Dublin.

In his action, Glenn Power (32) claimed he had struggled to walk due to lower back pain that radiated down his right leg after allegedly pulling his back while working at the company's Clondalkin premises on July 25th, 2016.

The court heard on Wednesday that the action had been settled and could be struck out.

Michael Byrne SC, instructed by Niall Ward of HJ Ward & Company, for Mr Power, said it was to be noted that there had been no claim made in respect of loss of earnings and no money was paid by the defendant company in this respect.

No liability was admitted.

Mr Power, with an address at Colepark Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, had sued his former employer, Gaelite Limited, with an office at Sandyford Industrial Estate, over the alleged incident.

Gaelite Limited denied his allegations and had pleaded that Mr Power was himself negligent and/or guilty of contributory negligence in allegedly failing to exercise reasonable care for his own safety and to comply with his training.

The court heard previously that Mr Power claimed he and a co-worker were instructed to lift the 65kg aluminium sheets onto a vehicle. He said that when he complained to his manager that the sheets would not fit into the van he was told to “just get them in”.

He said he felt a “twinge” in his back upon lifting one of the sheets and this pain got “worse and worse” throughout the day. He said he attended the VHI Swiftcare Clinic that evening and could not return to work. An MRI scan showed a disc was prolapsed and he later received physiotherapy and multiple spinal injections, but these only gave temporary relief, he said.

The court heard that while he was off work with his injuries Mr Power developed a cocaine habit and agreed to move money for a gang to pay off a drug debt he owed.

He was caught transporting €503,890 of criminal proceeds in a van in September 2018. In 2020, he was handed a four-year sentence with 18 months suspended after pleading guilty to a money laundering offence.

He served one year in prison and has been employed as a window fitter since his release from prison in June 2021, the court heard.