Our personal injury solicitors helped a mother of two claim against their father’s employers after he died in an accident at work.
In October 2012 our client, Mary*, got a phone call telling her that her ex-boyfriend and father to her children was on his way to hospital after an accident at work. Mary’s ex-boyfriend, Steve*, was working on a construction site where he had worked for a number of years. A concrete column fell on him causing serious head and chest injuries.
After two days, Steve sadly died from his injuries. His two daughters were now left without their father who was very hands-on and caring. At the same time Steve’s mother also sadly passed away, leaving the family devastated.
Although Steve and Mary weren’t together, Steve still played a big part in supporting his family by giving Mary money to help raise their daughters. Now that he was gone, this left Mary with a huge financial strain.
How We Helped
Mary wanted to make a claim against Steve’s employers because she felt they were responsible for Steve’s accident. Her daughters would also still have a father to help raise them.
Mary initially contacted solicitors who dropped the case soon after reviewing it. She then got in touch with our personal injury solicitors. Laura Middleton-Guerard, a specialist solicitor in accidents at work, got the file from Mary’s previous solicitors to help Mary continue with her claim.
Steve’s employers wouldn’t admit responsibility for his death, so we started preparing to take the claim to court. Before going to court, we went to a Joint Settlement Meeting (JSM) where we negotiated a settlement with Steve’s employers. The settlement was later approved by the High Court.
The amount of compensation awarded to Mary’s two daughters would help pay for private tuition. Mary hoped that this extra tuition would help them go to university when they were older.
Laura Middleton-Guerard said:
“When someone passes away in such a sudden and violent way, it affects . . . the entire family. It was a privilege working with them, for them to find out the circumstances (the Inquest) and then securing an award for compensation for the daughters of the deceased. This will ensure their mother has access to funds to pay for tuition to help them along their way to university.”
If you or a loved one has suffered in an accident at work, our solicitors could help you make a claim. We also often take on challenging cases that other solicitors have dropped. Contact our team today to discuss your situation on 0370 1500 100.
*Not client's real names.
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