Woman sues over pain 'after 40 minutes at hair salon basin'

Full text available at: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/woman-sues-over-pain-after-40-minutes-at-hair-salon-basin-3158352.html

A thirty five year old woman sued Peter Mark hair salon recently for neck pain she claimed was caused after sitting at a wash basin for a long period.

 Ms Dunne said in the Circuit Civil Court that she felt pain in her neck a few hours after she had left the salon on Grafton Street, Dublin, on May 3, 2008. She said she developed pain in her neck after allegedly sitting for 40 minutes at a washing basin in a Peter Mark hair salon.

She told her barrister William Martin-Smith that the salon had been "extremely busy" and that she had been seated at the basin with her head backwards for 40 minutes.

Ms Dunne said she had a hot towel treatment, during which her hair was wrapped in a wet towel, which was "really heavy".

The court heard, as the pain progressed through her left shoulder, she went to her GP who prescribed anti-inflammatory and pain-killers. She was treated with intramuscular injections while on holiday in Spain.

She sued Peter Mark for damages. The hair salon, which entered a full defence to Ms Dunne's claim, denied negligence.They denied that she was sitting at the basin for the 40 minutes as alledged and Counsel for Peter Mark said Ms Dunne had been seated at the basin for not more than 20 minutes.

The court was told Ms Dunne, of Holywell Dale, Feltrim Road, Swords, Co Dublin, had not complained to staff on the day.

Shortly after Ms Dunne had given her evidence, Mr Martin-Smith told the court the matter had been "resolved" and asked that it be put back for mention. It was ‘resolved’  on undisclosed terms after Ms. Dunne had claimed €38,000 in damages.

Judge Alan Mahon adjourned the case for two weeks to allow the court to further deal with the matter.

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