Reports: Judge throws out woman's $820K insurance claim after photo shows her throwing tree
An Irish woman lost an insurance claim of more than $800,000 after a photo surfaced that showed her launching a Christmas tree during a competition, according to local reports.
The Irish Independent reported that Kamila Grabska, 36, filed a $820,000 claim with her insurance company, RSA Insurance, after claiming a 2017 car accident left her with “debilitating pain,” and repeatedly bedridden.
Grabska told Ireland's High Court that she was left with constant pain in her back, neck and thoracic spine and was unable to lift groceries, do chores or play with her two children, following the Feb. 3, 2017 rear-end crash, the Irish Independent reported.
According to the Telegraph, following the rear-end accident, Grabska claimed she was unable to work for five years. Grabska quit her job following the accident and went on disability. She told the court that around $542,000 of her claim was for past and future lost wages.
Grabska wins tree throwing competition
The court however dismissed her case after they were presented with a photo from January 2018 of Grabska throwing a spruce tree and winning a Christmas tree-throwing contest. The photo was taken while Grabska was going through her hearing.
The mother of two claimed that even though she looked happy in the photo, she was still suffering from injuries and still experiencing pain, the Telegraph reported.
However, Judge Carmel Stewart said the photo, which had been published in a national newspaper, led her to conclude that Grabska's claims were "entirely exexaggerated,” the Independent reported.
“It is a very large, natural Christmas tree and it is being thrown by her in a very agile movement. I’m afraid I cannot but conclude the claims were entirely exaggerated. On that basis, I propose to dismiss the claim," Judge Carmel Stewart said, according to the Irish Independent.
Grabska however denied accusations that she faked her injuries and instead told the court that her intention was just to “lead a normal life," the Independent reported.
Additional evidence submitted to the court also included a video of Grabska training her dog for over an hour last year, the Telegraph reported. Stewart concluded that Grabska's actions were "inconsistent" with her injuries.
Sarah Al-Arshani covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at salarshani@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Irish woman's loses claim after photo shows her throwing tree: reports
