Injured worker recovers over £50,000 after tripping in a cluttered warehouse
Our client was working with a colleague in lifting and carrying items in a warehouse. As they were carrying an item, she tripped over something sticking out into the walkway. Her foot got caught and she fell very awkwardly and it transpired that she had tripped on wood and metal straps that had not been properly stored away.
The employer admitted liability and expert medical evidence was obtained from an orthopedic surgeon confirming that our client had suffered multiple fractures in her foot which continued to cause pain over a year on from the accident. Our client did not recover as quickly as had been expected and had not been able to return to her part-time agency work. Further expert evidence from a consultant psychologist and a pain specialist confirmed that our client’s original injury and pain had caused them to also suffer from an anxiety disorder and longer-term pain condition.
It was anticipated that our client would struggle to return to work until those conditions had been properly treated through a combination of counselling, physical therapy, and medication.
Following negotiations with the defendant’s insurer, a final settlement amounting to over £53,000 was agreed, which was more than twice the insurer’s original offer. That settlement covered compensation for the Claimant’s pain and suffering, her lost earnings, benefits that she’d received since the accident which would be paid back to the DWP, and the costs of any future treatments that she might need.
Sometimes, physical injuries do not resolve as expected and the injured person can go on to develop much more complicated pain conditions that can require various forms of treatment and which can carry a much less certain prognosis. This, in turn, can affect a person’s physical and psychological health whilst also restricting their capacity for work. As such, your injury lawyer must be alert to the need to instruct more than just one type of medical expert if their client’s recovery does not appear to be going as planned or expected.
If you would like a potential personal injury claim, contact us on 01473 211212 or email [email protected] to arrange an appointment over the phone or via a video call.