A Laois woman has been awarded more than £9,000 damages for the loss of a tooth which "disintegrated" as she banqueted with friends in a Dublin hotel.
Ms Mary McDonald, of St Jude's, Dublin Road, Portlaoise, told Judge Patrick McCartan in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday that one of her teeth fell to pieces when she crunched on a pebble-like object during dinner at the Green Isle Hotel last year. Ms McDonald (44), a merchandiser, told her counsel, Mr Barry Finlay, she was in agony for days afterwards. The accident had spoiled a holiday following the annual banquet for Gateaux staff.
She told Mr Hugh Mohan, counsel for P.V. Doyle Hotels Ltd, that after she and some friends had examined "a little brown stone" which caused the accident she had unfortunately thrown it under the table. Judge McCartan said the object had probably been among fresh vegetables served with the leg-of-lamb main course.
Awarding Ms McDonald £18,040 damages, the judge said he believed she had contributed by 50 per cent to her accident because of her failure to maintain a reasonable set of teeth; they had been heavily restored.