Our client was injured whilst visiting her local health centre in Hitchin. As it was early evening in February, it was dark and the car park was poorly lit.
The car park was quite full so our client parked her car some way from the building. As she got out of her car and started walking towards the building she tripped over something and seriously injured her leg. However, our client wasn’t able to see what it was until a car came down the road and she could see in the headlights that it was a raised concrete ridge that divided the rows of cars.
Our client attended hospital where she was diagnosed with torn ligaments and a broken ankle. She was in plaster for 5 weeks and had to undergo physiotherapy. She was unable to drive for 2 months and had difficulty bathing, showering, shopping, hoovering and negotiating stairs. Although our client’s injuries troubled her for around 4 months, she has now made a good recovery.
A claim was brought against the health centre on the basis that they were in breach of the Occupiers Liability Act in failing to adequately light the car park. Herfordshire PCT admitted liability for the client's accident, and she received an out of court settlement of around £3,030 together with payment of her legal costs.
Following the accident a metal barrier was erected in the car park along the concrete ridge to prevent the same thing happening again.
If you've been injured due to a slip, trip or fall, our personal injury claims team could help you secure compensation. See our Slips, Trips and Falls Claims page for more information.
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