Thompsons Solicitors Scotland secured a £90,000 settlement for a client who suffered an amputation to his left ring finger because of faulty equipment at work.
Case Summary
This workplace accident claim was handled by Zainab Ahmed, who was a trainee solicitor at the time. The client sustained a serious hand injury after faulty work equipment caused the amputation of his left ring finger. Although liability was admitted, the defender’s insurers initially offered just £28,000 to settle the full claim. Thompsons rejected that offer and continued to fight for a fair settlement. After litigation, further evidence, medical reports and photographic evidence were lodged, the offer increased to £90,000, which the client accepted.
Background to the Claim
Our client suffered a life-changing injury when his left ring finger was amputated as a result of faulty equipment at work. The injury had a significant impact on his daily life, his ability to work, and his future needs.
Although liability was admitted, the case did not settle easily. The defender’s insurers made an initial global offer of £28,000, which Thompsons considered far too low. This offer did not properly reflect the full value of the claim, including pain and suffering, wage loss, future treatment costs, prosthetic costs and the services required by the client.
Thompsons Refused to Accept a Low Offer
At the settlement negotiation stage, the defender’s insurers would not increase their offer beyond £28,000. Thompsons advised that the offer did not reflect the true value of the claim and refused to accept less than the client deserved.
The case was then litigated. As soon as court proceedings were raised, the defender increased the offer to £35,000. Thompsons took instructions from the client and on our advice the client rejected the offer.
Thompsons then submitted formal evidence to the court, including medical records and expert reports. Shortly afterwards, the defender made a further offer of £46,000. Again, Thompsons rejected it because it remained too low.
The team then lodged additional photographic evidence and information about the cost of replacement prostheses. This evidence helped demonstrate the true impact and future cost of the injury. Following this, the defender increased their offer to £90,000.
Thompsons advised the client that the offer was within an acceptable settlement range, and the client chose to accept.
Settlement Offers Made During the Claim
The progress of the case showed why it is so important not to accept an early offer before the full value of a serious injury claim is properly assessed.
Stage of claim
| Stage of Claim | Defender's offer | Thompsons response |
| Pre-litigation offer | £28,000 | Rejected as too low |
| After litigation started | £35,000 | Rejected as too low |
| After productions and medical reports were lodged | £46,000 | Rejected as too low |
| After photographic evidence and prosthetic cost evidence were lodged | £90,000 | Accepted on advice |
A Strong Result Led by Zainab Ahmed
This case was handled by Zainab Ahmed, who was a trainee solicitor at the time. Her work on the claim shows the level of responsibility, support and development given to trainee solicitors at Thompsons.
Zainab worked on a serious workplace accident claim involving complex heads of loss, including solatium, wage loss, future treatment, prosthetic costs and services. Her determination helped secure a final settlement more than three times higher than the defender’s first offer.
Zainab Ahmed
Zainab Ahmed
“This case shows why it is so important to fully investigate the value of a serious injury claim before accepting any offer from insurers. Our client had suffered a significant and permanent injury, and the early offers did not reflect the true impact on his life, work and future needs. We were determined to keep pushing until the evidence was properly considered and the client received a settlement that recognised what he had been through.”
Jennifer Wallace
Jennifer Wallace
“Zainab handled this claim with real care, determination and maturity. She recognised that the early offers did not properly reflect the value of the client’s injury and continued to push the case forward until a fair settlement was achieved. This is a fantastic result for the client and a great example of the meaningful, high-quality work our trainee solicitors are trusted to carry out at Thompsons under supportive supervision.”
Why This Case Matters
This case highlights the importance of getting specialist legal advice after a serious workplace accident. Early offers from insurers may not reflect the full value of a claim, especially where the injury has long-term consequences.
A finger amputation can affect a person’s ability to work, carry out everyday tasks, enjoy hobbies, and manage their independence. A proper valuation must consider not only the injury itself, but also lost earnings, future treatment, prosthetic needs, care, support and the wider impact on daily life.
Thompsons did not allow the defender’s insurers to dictate the value of the claim. By litigating the case and lodging the right evidence, the team secured a settlement that better reflected the client’s loss.
Injured by Faulty Equipment at Work?
Employers have a duty to provide safe work equipment, proper training, risk assessments and a safe system of work. If you have been injured because of faulty equipment at work, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
Thompsons Solicitors Scotland has extensive experience representing people injured in workplace accidents, including serious injury claims involving amputations, machinery accidents, defective equipment and unsafe working practices.
Our specialist workplace accident solicitors can help with claims involving:
- faulty equipment at work
- machinery accidents
- hand and finger injuries
- workplace amputations
- serious injury claims
- loss of earnings
- future treatment and rehabilitation costs
- prosthetic and support needs
- claims where insurers make low settlement offers
If you have been injured at work, Thompsons can help you understand your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.
