A 13-year-old boy, whose two front teeth were injured when a snooker ball was thrown at him by another child at a hospital , has been awarded €21,500 damages.
Barrister Jonathan Miller told the court that in October 2011, Shane Moran, who was 10-years-old at the time, was a patient in Dublin’s Children’s University Hospital, to have his appendix removed. He had been brought into a play area and left there.
Mr Miller told Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke that another child had been throwing snooker balls, one of which hit Shane in the mouth, fracturing his teeth.
Counsel said two caps were placed on Shane’s teeth provisionally, but had needed to be replaced several times due to the nature of the damage.
Mr Miller said conventional veneers would need to be replaced every seven to 12 years over Shane’s lifetime and root canal treatment of the teeth may be required.
Through his father John Moran, of Elton court, Ard Na Greine, Dublin, Shane sued the hospital, of Temple Street, for negligence and breach of duty. He claimed the hospital had failed to keep adequate supervision over other children.
Mr Miller told Judge Groarke that liability had been admitted by the hospital, which had made a settlement offer of €21,500. The judge approved it.