Judge tells parents of girl (8) he will not risk child's 25,000 'bird in hand' settlement offer from council over playground fall

"Judge John Martin had been told by barrister Bonnie Hickey that little Victoria Johnston's parents were not happy with a €25,000 settlement offer from playground owner Dublin City Council."

"A judge has told the parents of an eight year old girl, whose face was lacerated in a playground fall when she was only four, that he was not going to risk the child's €25,000 'bird in the hand' settlement offer."

Judge John Martin declined to approve a €25,000 settlement offer for Victoria Johnston, an eight-year-old girl who suffered facial lacerations from a playground fall at age four. The girl's parents, represented by barrister Bonnie Hickey, were dissatisfied with the settlement amount proposed by Dublin City Council, the playground owner. The judge determined that accepting the guaranteed settlement would be too risky for the child's long-term interests, suggesting the potential claim value exceeded the offered amount and warranted pursuing further compensation through litigation rather than settling.

Read at Independent