Injury & accidents in public places claims

Recently settled claims - accidents in public places

Our specialist solicitors help clients nationwide and have offices in Manchester, London, Wigan, Bolton, St Helens and Leigh.

One of our recent clients said - "I submitted to Stephensons all my information regarding a trip accident on council property. I felt confident from the start to leave everything in their hands. They arranged medical and MRI scans and pursued the defendants for timely replies. I was kept informed of progress at all times even through a change of personnel. Stephensons secured a financial settlement that I believe I would not have achieved had I fought my own case. I am grateful for their expertise and professionalism."

Here are some recent examples of cases our team have handled after people were injured in public places:

Client receives £3,000 after being injured by hospital door

Our client, whilst exiting a hospital, was hit by a defective door which had been jammed causing our client to be flung and sustain soft tissue injuries. Our client sadly passed away seven months later due to other health issues  Liability was admitted by the NHS hospital and client was awarded £3,000.

Client receives over £2,800 after suffering burns to the hand at a bar

Our client was at the defendant’s premises when she put her coat at the back of a booth. Unbeknown to our client, there was a table situated behind the booth with a candle placed on it. Our client’s coat was set on fire. Our client then attempted to put the fire out by holding their coat up, causing several small burns to their right hand.

Due to the burns, our client had to keep her wounds clean and dry for a period of four weeks and could not do any household chores, cooking or washing for this period of time and for a short spell after. Our client’s daughter had to assist with our client’s business for four weeks following the accident.

Our client received £2,853.18 compensation.

Client receives £60,000 following accident at a play area

Pauline Smith, senior associate executive in the personal injury team recently settled a case for a claimant who had sustained injury due to defective equipment at the defendant's premises.

Our client, aged 34 at the time of the accident, was a childminder, who tripped over a defective mat leading to a play area at premises maintained by the defendant. Liability was admitted for the accident.

Our client sustained a significant, and fragmented fracture to her right patella, requiring surgical repair. She was left with ongoing pain, and needed a further surgery almost two years later to remove the metalwork which had been inserted into her knee. The client had a 5-10% chance of developing osteoarthritis in her right knee over the next 15-20 years, with further surgery being a possibility. Our client was left with significant scarring to her leg as a result of the surgery. 

She also suffered psychological injuries, with the most acute symptoms lasting for 24 months, and which were only resolved following a course of cognitive behavioural therapy. Our client was awarded the sum of £60,000.

Client awarded £12,500 after fall from a highchair

The claimant, aged 1 year old at the time of the accident, was using the creche facility at the defendant’s premises and therefore, under the care of the defendant. The claimant was placed in a highchair in order to have his lunch. When the he had finished his lunch, a member of nursery staff came over in order to take him out of the highchair. She unclipped the safety belt and the tray which was attached to the highchair.  However, as she did so, she heard a cry from another child. As she turned around to see which child was crying, the child pushed the tray forwards, which caused the tray and child to fall to the floor. He landed face down onto the tray and caught the left side of his chin on a ridge which was on the tray. He sustained a laceration, 1.5 inches in length, to the left side of his chin.

He was taken to hospital immediately after the accident and the laceration was treated with steri-strips and dressing. 

He was left with a permanent 4.5cm x 4mm which was pink in colour. As he reached teenage years he became conscious of the scar and felt uncomfortable in social situations. He gradually began to suffer from feelings of anxiety, depression and loss of confidence. He felt negatively judged when meeting new people. 

Expert evidence suggested that the scar would gradually fade 5 – 10 years from the date of examination but may become slightly more obvious when the claimant develops beard growth and general loss of elasticity and wrinkling as he gets older. It was considered highly unlikely that surgical revision would improve the scar and instead, treating the scar with some pulse dye laser was recommended, which would reduce some of the pinkness. It was suggested that there was a greater than 50% chance that this treatment would speed up the maturation process.

It was suggested that the claimant’s psychological symptoms would benefit, on the balance of probabilities, from CBT or a similar therapy.

The claim was eventually settled at £12,500.

Client awarded £9,000 after slipping on coat hanger

The claimant visited her local Primark store. As she was proceeding through the store, her left foot slipped backwards on a coat hanger which had been left on the floor. She fell forwards and landed on her face and right arm. 

On attending the hospital, the claimant suffered with a fractured right wrist, a laceration to her lower lip and a cut to her right eyebrow. The claimant underwent a manipulation of her right wrist and had a k-wire inserted under general anaesthetic .She was provided with a cast for two weeks. Following this, the claimant went for physiotherapy on her right wrist. For the laceration to her lower lip she had five internal sutures which left the claimant with a small scar, and the laceration to her right eyebrow was treated with glue and steri-strips and healed over a period of two weeks.The claimant was left with a faint two centimetre scar just above her eyebrow. 

After Stephensons proceeded with the case against the property owners, the case was settled and the claimant received £9,000 compensation. 

Client awarded £1,900 settlement for soft tissue injuries after falling over a pothole

The claimant was walking along the street after getting off a bus when his left foot suddenly fell into a pothole. He managed to stop himself from falling by putting his left hand out against a white van which was parked alongside the pavement. 

The claimant suffered soft tissue injuries to one side of his body. The expert opinion was that the claimant would recover fully from his symptoms one month after the accident. 

After Stephensons proceeded with the case against the property owners, the case was settled and the claimant received £1,900 compensation. 

Client awarded £4,500 after slipping on black ice

The claimant was getting out of his car having arrived on the supermarket car park. As he did so, he took a step forward in order to close the car door and his left foot slipped forwards on a patch of black ice causing him to fall straight to the floor with his right leg trapped underneath him. Two members of the public assisted the claimant to stand and then left the scene. The claimant then attempted to walk back to his car when he slipped again on the ice landing on the base of his spine.

On attending the hospital, the claimant suffered from torn muscles in his right knee and thigh and a painful lower back. The claimant had a further assessment at the hospital and was advised that there was no damage to the knee but there was some muscle wastage and that physiotherapy would help this. The claimant therefore underwent physiotherapy. The expert opinion was that the claimant would recover completely from his injuries nine months post accident.

After Stephensons proceeded with the case against the property owners, the case was settled and the claimant received £4,500 compensation.

Client awarded £1,500 after a glass shelf fell on her foot

The claimant was browsing in her local department store in the gentleman’s section when she saw a bag which was located on a glass shelf, approximately five feet from the floor. The claimant reached up and undid the strap on the back to check if it had a magnetic clasp. As the claimant was facing the shelf she turned her upper body towards her husband, who was on her left, in order to show him the bag.  Without warning, the shelf which the bag had been on suddenly fell from the bracket and the front edge of the shelf landed on the claimant’s left foot. 

The claimant sustained bruising, swelling and abrasions to her left foot. The claimant recovered from all her symptoms within two months post accident. 

After Stephensons proceeded with the case against the property owners, the case was settled and the claimant received £1,568.56 compensation.