Keenan Solicitors were delighted to achieve substantial settlement in the sum of £75,000 for our young client following an accident at work in June 2021.
Ciaran Keenan acted in this case.
Our client was a 17-year-old at the time of the incident, inexperienced in the world of work and working on part-time basis during the summer as he prepared to enter his final year in school.
He was sent into a cargo container which was being used for storage on a hot summers day and instructed to tidy it up. The container was filled with tiles and other building materials, stacked together in a dangerous manner. The lighting in the container was very poor, with our client having to use his phone torch to see. Our client was not provided with PPE or proper training due to the casual, part-time nature of his role.
As he attempted to tidy the boxes, a loose box of shattered tiles which had been stacked above him fell from a height, slicing his shin open and severing his tibialis anterior tendon.
Surgery and extensive physio were required. Our client was left with a prominent scarring, both physically and mentally. His lifestyle was severely curtailed, and his schooling affected.
Our client instructed Keenan Solicitors to pursue a claim for personal injuries. No time was wasted, with medical evidence arranged from a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, a Consultant Plastic Surgeon and a Consultant Psychiatrist, ensuring that every aspect of our client’s injuries as a result of this accident were properly documented to ensure maximum compensation. Engineering evidence was also obtained which demonstrated the unsafe nature of the task.
Keenan Solicitors wrote to our client’s employer, who duly appointed their insurance company to investigate. Initial discussions revealed that the insurance company were alleging that our client was partly to blame for the accident. We did not agree and would not engage with any notion of a deduction in damages for our client.
High Court proceedings were issued, and the case listed for hearing.
The Defendant proposed a figure of £50,000, again forwarding the argument that our client was partly to blame. We advised our client to stand firm and following further negotiations, ultimately a significant increased offer of £75,000 was made by the Defendant the night before Contest and settlement agreed.
This case represents a significant settlement for our young client, who was badly injured as a result of an unsafe working environment and unsafe working practices. It demonstrates the importance of instructing solicitors who are experts in this area shows the commitment of Keenan Solicitors to hold strong and achieve the best possible settlement for our client.
Accident at Work Claims Northern Ireland
If you or someone you know have been involved in an accident at work in Northern Ireland and it wasn’t entirely your fault, Keenan Solicitors can help. Call us or leave your details to arrange a free, no obligation consultation.
