Woman Secures Damages For Fall In Sheffield Hospital

Liddy’s Solicitors helped a woman who fractured her spine in a fall at Northern General Hospital, Sheffield to claim £22,000 in damages.

The woman, in her forties, was leaving the hospital in April 2013 when she tripped over a mat which had ridden up on top of another and fell. Hospital authorities had been aware of a problem with the mat, as another patient who tripped in the same place only hours earlier had reported it.

Our client was not a well woman anyway because of a kidney condition which meant that she had to have dialysis. Like many people in hospital, because of her illnesses, she did not lift her feet very high and was therefore at a very much higher risk of falling.

She suffered fractured vertebrae as a result of her fall and although most such injuries heal up perfectly well without any long-term consequences, she still needed painkillers to cope with the pain in her spine 18 months after the accident.

Liddy’s Solicitors were approached within days of the accident and sent a letter to the hospital asking them to preserve any CCTV footage. One of our team also visited the hospital the next day to inspect where she fell.

We wrote a letter of claim to the hospital, who admitted liability very quickly. We then arranged for our client to see a pain management specialist and an occupational therapist.

Damages of £22,000 were agreed within 12 months of the accident to cover compensation for her injuries and for further aids and adaptations to help her cope with her injury.