Cahersiveen woman's family to take legal action against hospital following inquest verdict

The family of a Kerry woman has instituted legal proceedings against a Dublin hospital over the treatment of her injuries.

Yesterday, Dublin Coroner’s Court recorded a verdict of death by misadventure in the inquest of Martha “Josie” Gibbons of Fair Green, Cahersiveen.

It heard that on October 26^th, 2018 Mrs Gibbons had been brought to Tallaght University Hospital after she broke her arm and pelvis.

Five days later she was discharged with a referral to a clinic at University Hospital Kerry.

Conor Scanlon and Victoria Gibbons, members of the family of Josie Gibbons. An inquest at Dublin Coroner's Court on June 3rd, 2021 recorded a verdict of death by misadventure in the case of Josie Gibbons.

The solicitor for Mrs Gibbons’s family, Scarlett O’Sullivan, says 15 minutes after being discharged she collapsed in the car park of Tallaght University Hospital and suffered multiple cardiac arrest.

Mrs Gibbons died on November 9th, 2018.

A postmortem concluded Josie Gibbons had died as a result of a cardiac arrest due to a pulmonary embolism, that was most likely the result of a blood clot.

Coroner Cróna Gallagher heard that Mrs Gibbons had not been given any medicine to reduce the risk of blood clots as she was not fully immobilised.

She had not been wearing compression stockings nor had a CT scan been carried out on her before she was discharged from hospital.

The coroner was told Mrs Gibbons had been assessed as having a low to moderate risk of developing blood clots.

Scarlett O’Sullivan of the Tralee firm Harrison O’Dwyer Solicitors says yesterday was difficult for Mrs Gibbons’s family.