Following a fall in a car park, our client was referred to Thompsons through her union. The trip and fall accident. occurred in March 2018.
The background
On the date of the workplace accident, our client had been working a shift as a Staff Nurse in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. At around 9.30pm she left the hospital to walk across the main car park. As she passed the disabled parking bays she felt her foot get caught in something and this caused her to fall heavily onto her left arm. When she sat up after the fall, our client could see a pothole measuring approximately one foot across and an inch deep. There was no-one else present at the time of the car park accident and, despite suffering pain in her foot and arm, our client made her way to her car to travel home.
The consequences
The day after her fall, our client was suffering considerable pain and was taken to A & E by her daughter. Her elbow was X-rayed, revealing a fractured elbow, and the arm was put into a sling. At a fracture clinic a few days later, our client mentioned to the consultant that she had a sore foot. An X-ray was taken which revealed an avulsion fracture to her toe. Our client was unable to work for six weeks as a result of her pothole accident injuries.
The settlement
We intimated a claim with reference to the Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Liability was denied so we raised proceedings in court. A pothole accident compensation settlement was agreed on 3 February 2022. Our client received £6,250 in respect of her personal injuries.