A lady in Eire who sued an insurance coverage firm for $823,000 had her damage declare tossed out after the courtroom noticed a photograph of her participating in a Christmas-tree-throwing competitors.
Kamila Grabska, 36, sued RSA Insurance coverage over what she stated had been again and neck pains from a automotive crash in 2017, the Irish Impartial reported.
The accident rendered her unable to work for greater than 5 years, she stated.
Grabska additionally stated she couldn’t carry her kids, end fundamental chores, or raise a heavy bag and that, at instances, she wanted her medicine to be dropped at her in mattress because of the ache, the outlet reported.
However a photograph proven to the Irish Excessive Court docket in Limerick featured Grabska chucking a Christmas tree in January 2018, the report stated.
Grabska, a resident of the city of Ennis, was one of many folks photographed tossing 5-foot spruce bushes on the native tree-throwing competitors, as seen on this BBC article. Contestants compete to see who can hurl a tree the farthest.
The Irish Impartial reported that Grabska admitted to Choose Carmel Stewart that she received the competitors.
A 2018 article from the outlet named her because the victor within the women’ occasion. Grabska is featured within the article’s lead picture in a yellow jacket and work gloves and seems to be flinging a tree.
Simply days earlier than the competitors, Grabska had knowledgeable medical doctors of fixed pains in her backbone, again, and neck, the Irish Impartial reported.
“It’s a very giant, pure Christmas tree, and it’s being thrown by her in a really agile motion,” the outlet quoted Stewart, the presiding decide, as saying. “I am afraid I can not however conclude the claims had been fully exaggerated.”
The courtroom was additionally proven footage of Grabska enjoying with a dalmatian in a park for about 90 minutes, the Irish Impartial reported.
The footage was taken in November 2023, The Telegraph reported.
Her listening to was dismissed on Thursday, courtroom information present.
The legislation agency representing Grabska did not instantly reply to a request for remark from Enterprise Insider.
Louise Smith of RDJ LLP, appearing for RSA Insurance coverage within the protection, instructed BI by electronic mail that after they grew to become suspicious about Grabska’s claims, an open-source intelligence report was procured.
The report, in addition to a easy search of Google, confirmed her involvement within the tree-throwing competitors, together with {a photograph} of the occasion, Smith stated.
“Definitely {a photograph} as graphic because the one discovered on this case is uncommon,” she added. “Nevertheless, RDJ’s Insurance coverage Fraud workforce would at all times completely examine each claimant on-line upfront of each case and at this stage we’re by no means too shocked of what we discover on-line.”
Smith additionally stated that despite the fact that the courtroom made no advice that the case be despatched to public prosecutors, her workforce doesn’t imagine that is obligatory for it to be investigated by the police.
February 27, 2024 — This story has been up to date to incorporate a response from Louise Smith, the solicitor appearing for RSA Insurance coverage.
