Ann O'Loughlin
A girl whose leg was seriously injured when she thought a patio door in a hotel room was open and ran through the plate glass has settled her High Court action for €100,000.
Ruby Curtis was seven-and-a-half when the accident happened on October 29th, 2018, while she and her family were holidaying in the "Hotel Targoro-Family and Fun" premises in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Through her mother, Niamh Curtis of Broadfield Drive, Rathcoole, Dublin, she sued the hotel operators, Sucursal en Espana and Dreamplace Hotels and Resorts SL, and their insurers Zurich Insurance plc. The defendants denied negligence.
Hugh Mohan SC, for Ruby, said his experts argued there should have been tempered safety glass in the door panels, but the defendants argued that, because the hotel was built before the introduction of building code regulations, there was no breach of standards.
It was claimed that Ms Curtis booked a five-night holiday for some €1,100 with the hotel operators to take place at the end of October 2018.
On the last day of the holiday, it was claimed that Ruby ran through a glass door leading to the patio in the bedroom of the hotel, believing it to be open. The glass shattered into multiple pieces and caused multiple lacerations to Ruby's left calf, left knee and right cheek.
She was brought by ambulance to a local hospital where she underwent emergency surgery and had to remain there for nine days before returning home.
Mr Mohan told the court that Ruby made a good recovery though was left with a visible scar on her calf. Ruby had become very clingy and anxious in the aftermath of the accident, but thankfully it was all over and she "has put all of this behind her", counsel said.
Mr Mohan believed it was an excellent settlement and the family were very happy with it. Mr Justice Paul Coffey approved the settlement and wished Ruby and her mother well.
