Irish woman loses £650,000 in injury claim after tree tossing picture surfaces

A woman in Ireland lost a £650,000 ($823,000) lawsuit against an insurance company for her injury after, in a surprising turn of events, she was caught participating in a Christmas tree-throwing competition, leading to the court dismissing her claims, The Guardian reported.

In 2017, 36-year-old Kamila Grabska sued RSA Insurance, claiming she had neck and back discomfort following a vehicle accident. 

She said that the accident prevented her from working for almost five years. 

Grabska also claimed that the discomfort prevented her from lifting a big bag, carrying her kids, or doing simple household tasks and that she occasionally required assistance to get medicines in bed.

However, Grabska's claim was thrown out by a high court judge in Limerick after a photograph came to light showing her throwing a five-foot spruce at a charity event in January 2018.

The picture was published in a national newspaper, and while Grabska argued that she was still suffering from her injuries, Justice Carmel Stewart dismissed her claims.

He said, "I'm afraid I cannot but conclude the claims were entirely exaggerated. On that basis, I propose to dismiss the claim."

She had filed a legal claim against the insurance company for the loss of past and future earnings.

The court also saw a video of Grabska training her dog in a park for more than an hour, in addition to the Christmas tree contest pictures.