Woman left disabled after allegedly contracting disease from parrot secures further €1m payout

Patricia Ingle from Co Limerick was 19 when she suffered catastrophic injuries after allegedly contracting chlamydia psittacosis – an airborne infection which can be transferred from birds to humans – while working at the Petmania store, Ennis Road, Limerick in 2008.

The latest interim payout which was approved by the court today brings to €16.5m the total amount paid out to Ms Ingle as part of the settlement of her legal action.

Her counsel Oonah McCrann SC told Mr Justice Paul Coffey that six interim payments had been made in the case so far.

The case will come back before the court in July next year when her future care needs will be assessed.

Ms Ingle, in 2011, secured a multi-million-euro structured settlement – believed to total about €7.5m – which at the time was the highest ever in a High Court personal injuries action.

She later received further payouts for her future care, including €3m a number of years ago.

Ms Ingle, who is now 34, she suffered catastrophic injuries and is paralysed and confined to a wheelchair.

The plaintiff, from Clarina Avenue, Ballinacurra, Weston, Co Limerick, had sued Petmania Limited, Jetlands Retail Park, Ennis Road, Limerick; its parent company, O'Keeffe's of Kilkenny Limited, Springhill, Kilkenny, and the HSE.

It was alleged that after suffering her injuries while working in the pet store her condition was negligently mismanaged by the HSE.

Both defendants denied the claims against them in proceedings which had been listed to last several weeks but settled after talks on the fourth day of the case.

During the proceedings, the court heard chlamydia psittacosis can be passed from parrots to humans through inhalation of airborne dried faeces dust or from the feathers or respiratory secretions of the birds.

It was alleged Ms Ingle contracted the disease during July/August 2008 when a cockatiel parrot was purchased by the store for €20. It was stated that the class of bird was implicated in the disease.

It was claimed Ms Ingle received no training in health and safety matters when working with animals while employed at the Petmania store in 2007 and 2008.

On August 12, 2008, she suffered violent headaches and vomiting, attended a doctor and was sent to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital where she was treated and sent home to rest.

There was a slight improvement but after a very bad night on August 31 with headaches and increased vomiting she went to her GP on September 1 and was sent to hospital.

By September 3, she was technically voiceless and had suffered irreversible brain damage, blurred vision and could not move, along with difficulty in swallowing, it was claimed.