Our client, a sales assistant at Boots, was injured in a trip and fall accident at work. She was referred to Thompsons through her union, Usdaw, so we could pursue personal injury compensation on her behalf.
The background
On the day of the accident in July 2019, our client was working behind the tills. She and one other colleague were at a row of five tills. Shopping baskets were stored behind the tills in metal stands on wheels. Our client states that at the time of her accident the area was untidy, with several obstacles. When she went to retrieve shopping bags from another till she caught her foot underneath the wheel of a basket stand, which caused her to trip and fall.
Our client stumbled but then lost her footing and began falling to the floor. As she fell, she injured a finger on her right hand and her left shoulder on nearby fittings, and her head struck the ground.
The consequences
At the time, our client's colleague applied a plaster to her finger and she carried on working. Later, when she had finished her shift and returned home, she began to suffer pain in her head.
The following day, our client returned to work but found her headache symptoms to be worse and she was advised to go to hospital where she was diagnosed with concussion. A few days later she began to suffer pains in her neck and shoulder. She attended her GPs surgery and was referred to Hairmyres Hospital for an MRI scan. She was diagnosed with soft-tissue injuries and prescribed pain killers.
Several weeks later she began to experience lower back pain which was investigated by her GP.
Thompsons sought a medical report which confirmed that our client had suffered a closed minor head injury, bruising to her left knee, muscle strain to her neck and a cut to her ring finger. The medical expert recommended a medical report from an expert in hearing loss/tinnitus. We instructed a subsequent report and the expert confirmed that there was a worsening of our client's tinnitus for a few months.
The settlement
Thompsons' personal injury solicitors intimated a claim with Boots, who admitted liability. An initial compensation offer of £2,550 was put forward with a substantial level of liability apportioned to our client. We felt the compensation sum was low and the amount of liability attributed was too high. On rejecting the initial offer a further settlement was put forward and was again rejected.
A further offer was made by the defender of £4,575 with a much lower level of liability apportioned to our client. We felt this offer was fair and our client confirmed that she was happy to accept it.
Settlement was agreed on 30 July 2021