You Shouldn’t Need a Crash Helmet to Visit the Dentist

Published: 6th September 2016

A Wakefield local was visiting his dentists when he hit his head on the ceiling as he climbed the stairs.  His neck snapped backwards and he cut his head.  He did not go to the hospital, thinking that the neck ache he was suffering from wouldn’t last very long.

However, it did. Even after eleven sessions of physiotherapy he started to get tingling in his left shoulder which was made worse by his job moving heavy objects.  He was forced to take time off work and so suffered some loss of earnings.

Liddys solicitors wrote a letter of claim to the dentists.  The dentist’s insurers eventually admitted that the ceiling was too low and there should have been signs up to warn of a low ceiling but they also said he was a tall man and should have taken more care.

They offered to meet 50% of his claim on the basis that he was also 50% to blame. Liddys advised that he was probably partly to blame, but that he should reject the offer regardless, as it was unjust.  The claim was eventually settled with him accepting 20% of the blame which meant that he received 20% less damages than his full losses.  He received just over £7,500 in damages.

Sometimes small accidents have big consequences.  Nine times out of ten, when you bump your head you are fine afterwards.  Sometimes however, you are forced to spend a few months off work and really struggle to make ends meet, until your claim is settled.

At Liddys, clients are guaranteed to see a solicitor who has been qualified at least 8 years. This experience is what really makes the difference in cases like this. A less experienced solicitor would have probably settled for 50%, not knowing that they could have possibly got more for their client.