Court rules council not liable for accident in which woman injured herself after tripping over tree roots on footpath

The CCJ in Dublin.

Ray Managh

South Dublin County Council is not responsible for an accident in which a retired cleaner injured herself by tripping over the roots of a tree that had erupted onto a footpath and created a hazard for pedestrians, a judge ruled today.

The decision of Judge James O’Donohue in the Circuit Civil Court means that local authorities are not legally liable for such accidents – providing they have not taken any action to repair their footpaths damaged by tree root intrusions.