Nelsons secured compensation for Mrs W following a fall she had at a major high street store in Nottingham. Mrs W, who was aged 73 years at the time of the accident, had entered the retail store when her right foot got caught in flooring just inside the main entrance door. The heel of her shoe was stuck in a fault in the flooring, causing her to tumble forward down a short flight of stairs.
As a result of the fall, she attended the Accident & Emergency Department. Initially, she was treated for a dislocated shoulder. However, she re-attended a fracture clinic the following day when there was significant swelling and bruising to her upper arm. X-rays confirmed a fracture dislocation of her right shoulder with a three part fracture of the proximal humerus.
Personal Injury Led to Shoulder Surgery
As a result of her injuries, Mrs W was subsequently treated by a specialist shoulder surgeon who carried out right proximal humerus fracture plating with a Philos plate. This meant she had to be treated as an in-patient and undergo surgery. It also required a course of review treatment and it was just over 4 months before there was clear evidence of healing and just over 12 months following the accident before x-rays confirmed the fracture had healed almost back to its original position.
As a result of her injuries, Mrs W was unable to carry out her normal household work and leisure activities. She had considerable difficulty sleeping at night and ongoing restriction of her ability to raise her arm as before. This meant she was required to pay for additional help around the house, including decoration and window cleaning. Unfortunately, her husband due to his medical condition was unable to carry out some of the tasks that she would have done prior to the accident.
Compensation was Awarded for the Personal Injury Claim
Nelsons secured an early admission of liability from the insurers representing the retail store. Once Mrs W’s medical condition had reached the stage where a satisfactory prognosis could be given by a Professor of Orthopaedic and Accident Surgery, negotiations commenced with the insurers. Following the insurers’ initial offer of £5,000 in settlement of the claim, negotiations continued until an agreement was reached at an inclusive figure of £10,700. This sum was to reflect compensation for Mrs W’s pain and suffering, her ongoing disability and to reflect the costs involved in paying for window cleaning and decoration which she would have normally carried out herself.
Read more about the personal injury cases that Nelsons have handled by visiting our Personal Injury case studies page.
For advice on pursuing a claim for compensation please contact a member of our Personal Injury team.
