Our client, a prison officer, had suffered an elbow injury at work. He had previously instructed another solicitor but was referred to Thompsons via his union, the Prison Officer's Association.

The background

On the day of the incident in November 2017, our client, an officer instructor, injured his elbow when closing a door to a workshop. The door to the workshop was known to stick intermittently, and as our client closed the door it jammed, causing him to hit his elbow on the door frame.

Initially, our client assumed he had suffered a 'dead arm' but his line manager noticed swelling around his elbow. At this point he was taken to hospital in Stirling.

By the time he reached hospital the pain he was suffering was excruciating. An X-ray revealed an avulsion fracture to the head of the radius (bone in forearm). Our client had to take painkillers for more than five weeks. His arm was placed in a sling.

The consequences

The prison officer was away from work approximately eight weeks following the workplace accident, and, in that time, the workshop door was fixed.

Thompsons instructed a consultant orthopaedic surgeon to examine our client. He confirmed that the majority of the symptoms had settled within the first six weeks. However, our client suffered ongoing symptoms of coldness and numbness affecting his left hand and the inner aspect of his elbow.

The prison officer's employer had denied liability for his injuries when the accident at work claim was first intimated. When Thompsons' personal injury solicitors took over the case, we advised our client to raise a court action.

The settlement

Our client's employer continued to deny liability but upon litigating they offered a settlement sum of £3,000.

Our client accepted the offer and personal injury settlement was agreed on 19 January 2021.