A postman who sustained injuries from a dog bite when he put his hand through a letter box has been awarded more than €20,000 in damages and has also won his legal costs of more than €35,000.
The boxer dog, whose owners – Amanda McMahon and her former partner Darren Anderson, Rathcoole, Co Dublin – had to pay the damages, bit the hand of postman James Coll (above), the Circuit Civil Court heard yesterday.
The postman told the court the dog had snapped his finger as he pushed mail through into the hallway. There was no back-flap or bristle draught excluder on the inside of the front door with the result that his hand slipped through more easily.
The court heard he had fallen backwards after having been bitten and had struck his head on a concrete paving, also damaging one of his teeth.
Barrister Karen Nolan told Judge Jacqueline Linnane that Mr Coll, (50), of Kilcock, Co Kildare, was a relief postman on the Rathcoole route and had not been issued by An Post with any warnings of dangerous dogs on the route.
He had not been trained regarding mail drops at houses where there might be dangerous dogs.