Irwin Mitchell has settled the case of a man who was involved in an accident at a falconry centre.
The accident happened in June 2010 when our client was visiting a falconry centre with his wife. They had decided to attend the flying display which, due to the poor weather, was taking place in the indoor flying area.
They were advised to make their way there, through the café area and down a flight of steps. The steps were uneven in height and shape. It was a very dark wet day and the area into which the client was directed was unlit, apart from the light behind them in the café and some distant windows within the flying area.
At what appeared to be the bottom of the steps, there was a doorway. The doorframe was actually positioned across the final step and the door itself was already open to the left. The final step down was taken as you went through the doorway. The handrail to the left of the steps ended at the edge of the doorframe and as such there was no handrail adjacent to the final step.
Our client did not properly see the depth of the final step, causing him to stumble forward, falling heavily at an awkward angle onto the floor. He felt a snap and immediate pain in his left leg and ankle.
He was taken to hospital by ambulance and underwent examination and X-ray. He was advised he had suffered a fracture of the left ankle and underwent surgery to fix the fracture. He was kept in hospital for four days, being discharged to the outpatient clinic.
The client had a variety of casts, air boots, outpatient appointments and required physiotherapy treatment. He experienced ongoing stiffness and restricted movement and has been left with a permanent scar to the ankle area. He was absent from work for three months due to his injuries.
The falconry centre denied liability but put forward an offer of £5,000 in compensation, which was rejected. Court Proceedings were therefore issued and the defendants then offered £14,650 which was accepted in an out of court settlement in May 2012.
If you or a loved one has suffered a fracture or broken bone as the result of an accident, our specialist serious injury solicitors could help you claim compensation. See our Broken Bone Or Fracture Claims page for more information.
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