Galway Bay fm newsroom - A Galway women affected by the CervicalCheck controversy has been given the go-ahead to serve a personal injuries summons on an American pathology clinic.
Jacqueline Hopkins, of Carn Ard, Circular Road was told at the High Court by Ms Justice Miriam O'Regan that service of the proceedings could be made out of the jurisdiction on Clinical Pathology Laboratories Limited, of Wall Street, Austin, Texas.
According to the Irish Independent, Barrister David Browne, who appeared for Ms Hopkins with Peter McDonnell Solicitors, told the court Clinical Pathology Laboratories was one of five defendants, including the HSE, Quest Diagnostics Inc, Medlab Pathology Limited and Sonic Healthcare (Ireland) Limited, being sued by his client.
In an affidavit, it was stated that in April 2009 Ms Hopkins had a smear test carried out under CervicalCheck, as a result of which she had in 2010 undergone a full hysterectomy for a micro invasive cervical carcinoma.
The court heard Ms Hopkins had undergone further smear tests in January 2011 and in February 2012, both of which had been analysed by Clinical Pathology Laboratories Limited.
The court heard Ms Hopkins claims Clinical Pathology Laboratories or its agents were guilty of negligence or breach of duty in having failed to prescribe a correct course of treatment.
Judge O'Regan granted Ms Hopkins's legal team liberty to issue and serve a personal injuries summons on Clinical Pathology Laboratories Limited at its Austin, Texas, headquarters and allowed the company 35 days to enter an appearance.
