Dublin woman awarded €75,000 after slipping on spilt cream at Dunnes Stores supermarket in Cavan

A WOMAN has been awarded €75,000 after slipping on spilt cream at a supermarket.

Maureen Curran, 64, was given the award for her tumble at Dunnes Stores in Cavan town on ­September 3, 2013.

She told the High Court her feet went from under her while walking along the dairy aisle — four or five feet away from a warning sign.

Ms Curran, of Tallaght in Dublin, said she got up but when going to use her phone discovered her hand didn’t work correctly.

Docs found she fractured her right wrist and still has to wear a splint on it most days.

Judge Kevin Cross today said she suffered a nasty injury after her “sudden and helpless fall” on a “still wet and somewhat greasy surface”.

Ms Curran had been in Dunnes Stores to check a product on the shelf while working for Glanbia. She sued both Dunnes and ­Glanbia over the accident.

Ms Curran claimed there was an alleged failure of Dunnes to have an adequate cleaning system in operation at the Cavan town store at the time of her cream fall.

She also said there was an alleged failure by the store to warn her of the danger posed by the ­dairy spillage.

And she claimed there was an alleged failure by Glanbia to take adequate precautions for her safety while at work.

At the time Ms Curran was a ­business development ­manager and travelled around the country checking on Glanbia’s ­products in supermarkets. All the claims were denied.

Judge Cross said the fall did not occur when the floor was being cleaned by staff.

But he found Dunnes Stores had failed to mark out the extent of the spillage — as Ms ­Curran saw just one sign that she ­presumed was the location of the downed cream.

The judge said it was vital to ensure the entire area of a floor was dry and this, ­unfortunately, was not done.