Foot injury compensation claim

A man from Hull has been awarded £2,100 in an out-of-court settlement by his employer following an accident at work at a North Humberside hospital.

Torn ligaments at work

Christian Lody, 32, of Alliance Avenue, had torn ligaments in his left ankle in September 2003 whilst working as a roofer for Ford Ashphalte & Felt Roof Company based in Bontoft Avenue, Hull at Hornsea Trustees Hospital.

His payout was secured with help from Laura Mitchell of the personal injury team at Irwin Mitchell solicitors, based at the firm's new Riverside offices in Sheffield.

Accident at work

On the day of the accident, Mr Lody was part of a team laying a new roof on the first storey of one of the wards at the hospital.

He said: "We'd been melting bitumen using a gas bottle and I was in the process of taking it down from the roof when the accident happened. I was carrying the gas bottle on my shoulder in order to bear the weight. Firstly, I had to step down from the new roof, a drop of around three feet, and then walk across the existing roof and down some ladders to the ground.

"But, as I stepped onto the existing roof, my left foot cockled over and I fell to the floor in immediate pain. I took my shoe and sock off straight away and saw that my ankle had already become swollen."

Mr Lody had lost his footing on a lump in the uneven felt roof surface, which had blistered. He managed to limp across the 13-feet high roof and climb down the ladders unassisted, and waited in the van for his colleagues to finish.

He said: "By putting my foot on the dashboard I eased the pain slightly and when the job was finished a colleague drove me and the team back to Hull."

Believing he had just badly sprained his ankle, Mr Lody went home and took the following week off work, hoping it would heal of its own accord.

He said: "The pain was very intense and I got little sleep. After a week I still couldn't put any weight on my foot and the pain had not subsided, so I visited Hull Royal Infirmary and they did an x-ray."

Specialists at the hospital diagnosed the problem and a cast was applied to Mr Lody's ankle, which remained in place for three weeks, providing sufficient time for the ligaments to heal.

Mr Lody returned to work, but continues to suffer occasional discomfort, particularly in cold weather.

Commenting on the payout, Ms Mitchell said: "Mr Lody was let down by his employers. There should have been a step in place between the new roof and the existing one to provide safe access for the team of workers. Combined with the obvious dangers of working at height, it's sheer luck a more serious accident didn't happen."

If you or a loved one have suffered a similar foot injury and been let down by an employer. Get in touch with Irwin Mitchells team today and see how we can help you claim compensation.