Laois Man Awarded €3.4m After "Catastrophic Injury"

Thursday, 8 February 2024 17:57

The now-29-year-old had his arm amputated after the incident.

A young man who signed up in this country to work as a seasonal farm worker abroad but who suffered catastrophic injuries when his arm was sucked into a combine harvester on a New Zealand farm, has been awarded €3.4million by the High Court.

Ms. Justice Leonie Reynolds said the young farmer Padraig Lowry whose arm was amputated to four inches below his right elbow had suffered a lifelong, life altering and disabling injury when he was 22 years of age.

The injuries she said have had devastating and life-changing consequences for him and his ability to run the 251-acre family farm in Co Laois has been significantly impaired.

Padraig Lowry (now 29) , Cappalinnan, Rathdowney, Co Laois had sued Daryl Thompson of Invercargill, New Zealand and D.Thompson Contracting Ltd also of Invercargill, New Zealand as a result of the accident in January 2015.

Mr. Lowry had been trying to deal with an oats blockage in the combine harvester chute when his arm was sucked into the moving parts of the machine.

The Irish High Court had been asked to assess damages in the case where judgement had already been granted in default of appearance by the New Zealand side.

Mr. Lowry’s solicitor Margaret Cordial of Smithwicks Solicitors, Kilkenny will now have to seek to have the €3.4million judgement of the Irish High Court enforced in New Zealand.

The court previously heard how the 22-year-old had met a representative of the New Zealand company in a Co Meath hotel and was offered a job to start in October 2014. Three months later the accident occurred on the rural New Zealand farm and the court heard Irish coworkers used their belts to tourniquet Mr Lowry’s arm which was pumping blood.

Just five hours after the accident and Mr Lowry was airlifted to hospital, the court heard the harvester was released to continue the work on the farm at Dipton, Southland.

Ms. Justice Reynolds said it was clear from the evidence that the contract of employment was entered between Mr. Lowry and the New Zealand company in Co Meath.