Irwin Mitchell’s International Personal Injury team acted on behalf of a man who was injured in a serious fall whilst on a trip to Lapland.

Accident

In January 2010, Jan Matecki, from Warwick, flew out with his wife and friends to the Davvi Arctic Lodge in Lapland, Finland, as a treat for his 50^th birthday and also to celebrate the New Year. Unfortunately, on the last day of the trip, Mr Matecki fell on a slippery patch of compact ice and snow that covered the walkway outside his hotel.

During his fall, Mr Matecki twisted his right leg beneath him which caused him to suffer a fractured tibia. His injury left him in serve pain and after some initial resistance from the Davvi Arctic Lodge, Mr Matecki was transferred to a nearby doctor’s clinic just over the border in Sweden.

Mr Matecki had to have a cast fitted to aid his recovery and also underwent numerous sessions of private physiotherapy several months after the accident. These injuries heavily impacted upon his work as a self-employed Engineering Design Consultant and he was forced to take on temporary staff for three months to avoid losing out on valuable business contracts.

Several years on, Mr Matecki still has occasional pain in his lower right leg which usually occurs first thing in the morning or after a heavy day of work. The injuries have also hindered his ability to keep fit as he can no longer go running due to the pain and discomfort it causes.

Complex claim

Working with our specialist travel lawyers, Mr Matecki brought a claim against Travelsun Travel Ltd. However, the tour operator continually denied responsibility for the accident which meant that court proceedings started.

Despite initially denying accountability, a significant five-figure settlement was secured for Mr Matecki taking into account his injuries, medical costs and loss of earnings.

Expert help

Mr Matecki’s solicitor, Joseph Dawson, said: “This was meant to be a celebratory trip for Jan, but instead he suffered a fracture to his leg and now has been left with ongoing symptoms.

“We are pleased that we have reached an agreement with Transun and now the settlement will provide Jan with funds so that he can continue with his recovery.”

Joseph also highlighted his concerns relating to the conduct of Transun, commenting: “One of the main concerns in the case was the repeated failure by Transun and its representatives who repeatedly failed to deal with liability issues in Mr Matecki’s case, including omitting to disclose the relevant information from the time of his accident until ordered to do so by the court.

“Due to the perseverance of Mr Matecki and ourselves, we eventually obtained the documents which led to the settlement of the claim. However, Transun still continued to deny liability until we managed to negotiate a settlement very shortly before trial.

“Tour operators should ensure that snow and ice is regularly cleared from walkways and paths around hotels in order to prevent injuries such as Jan’s from happening.”

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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