A settlement has been reached in the High Court between the family of Norbert Sheerin and the Health Service Executive (HSE), arising from his death from sepsis at University Hospital Galway in September 2019. Mr Sheerin, aged 73, was a retired member of the hospital’s records department and a grandfather of five.
Proceedings were taken by Mr Sheerin’s wife, Angela Sheerin, and their daughter, Audrey Murphy. They were represented by Martin Kerrigan of Berwick Solicitors and Doireann O’Mahony BL.
The case centred on alleged delays and missed opportunities during Mr Sheerin’s care after he was referred to the hospital’s emergency department by his GP. It was contended that, had appropriate investigations—such as an MRI scan—been carried out at the time of admission, a sepsis diagnosis could have been made earlier and treated with IV antibiotics.
Counsel told the court that there had been a delay of approximately three days in obtaining critical blood test results which showed signs of significant inflammation. During this period, Mr Sheerin’s condition reportedly deteriorated rapidly. A postmortem later confirmed sepsis as the cause of death.
It was further alleged that there had been a failure to act urgently on abnormal test results, and a failure to escalate Mr Sheerin’s care to emergency surgical intervention in a timely manner. These omissions, the family claimed, deprived Mr Sheerin of a chance of survival.
The HSE fully denied the claims and filed a full defence. The settlement was reached without any admission of liability. Mr Justice Paul Coffey approved the settlement and the statutory mental distress payment of €35,000, and expressed his sincere sympathies to Mr Sheerin’s widow and family.
Berwick Solicitors extends our condolences to the Sheerin family and acknowledges the deep loss they have experienced. We are committed to ensuring that families who raise concerns about the standard of care received by their loved ones are supported throughout the legal process.
