A firefighter who claims he suffered a career-ending injury after allegedly slipping on stairs during a training exercise has sued for damages in the High Court.
Liam Kelly said he was carrying a “dummy casualty” with a colleague and was going backwards down a staircase in a three-man “blind man shuffle” in a dark building when the accident happened.
He told Mr Justice Kevin Cross he slipped and swung around and injured the calf of his left leg.
Opening the case, John Paul Shortt SC said the firefighter suffered significant and career-ending injuries after a “farcical fire drill” was put in place in a custom-built tower in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
Mr Kelly, Fr Paul Murphy Street, Edenderry, Co Offaly has sued Offaly County Council over the accident on June 4th, 2013, which happened during a three-man exercise to get accustomed to new breathing equipment.
He alleged failure to ensure his co-workers provided adequate physical support to him as he attempted to negotiate his way down the stairs.
He also claimed an unsuitable and unsafe training exercise had been devised and he was not warned of the dangers and risks inherent in the work.
The claims are denied and the Council contends Mr Kelly was an experienced firefighter and that the task on the day was properly prepared, executed and supervised at all times.
It denies Mr Kelly slipped and lost his footing as alleged.
If he did, the Council contends that was caused by his own alleged negligence.
In evidence, Mr Kelly said the firefighters were not allowed use torches and “you could not see your hand”.
He said the “dummy casualty” was located in the first floor bathroom and he took the upper part of the body and a colleague took the lower part.
He said the “number one” firefighter should have been behind him as he made his way down the stairs backwards.
He told the court he slipped on the first few steps and swung around but he did not drop the casualty.
“I knew I had hurt my leg. I went down a couple of steps. I still had the casualty under my arm. They would hold it against you for dropping the casualty.”
He said he had screamed and, when they got the casualty to the yard, the calf of his left leg was “turning black and badly swollen”.
His leg was “like a balloon” and the next day he went to his doctor and was referred to A&E at Tullamore Hospital.
“I was in severe pain in my leg and the bottom of my back,” he said.
He said he had cried when he was told in 2015 he could not return to the fire service.
“I cried when I was told I was finished as a firefighter. I loved the Fire Service.”
Cross examined by Peter Bland SC, for the Council, Mr Kelly said he had not mentioned a pain in his back at first because he leg was the worst and he was scared the Council would find out about his back.
“I didn’t want the Council to know about the back, I wanted to get back to work,” he said.
“I was nervous of losing my job.”
The case continues.