Charity volunteer wins substantial compensation as he is forced to give up his career
September 14, 2022
Our client, a volunteer for a charity, was injured while helping to take down a bandstand so it could be replaced with a summerhouse. Moving the bandstand exposed an uncovered manhole which our client fell down, leaving him trapped ten feet below ground level.
Despite prior knowledge of the manhole, the defendant failed to warn the volunteers before they removed the bandstand. Our client was trapped for a significant amount of time before he was rescued by the local Fire Brigade.
Even though he was working for a charity as an unpaid volunteer, the regulations which require employers to establish a safe place and system of work and to undertake adequate risk assessments before starting tasks, still applied.
The charity accepted liability for the incident but refused to acknowledge the severity of our client’s injuries.
After extensive medical investigations, our expert witnesses advised that our client had suffered permanent nerve damage, causing hypersensitivity and pain in his arms, as well as psychological trauma.
Our client had worked as a racing car mechanic, which he described as his dream career, but his injuries meant he could not return to this work. He had to settle for a less exciting job, for less pay, due to his permanent pain and other symptoms.
Legal proceedings commenced and the Defendant’s solicitors demanded further evidence to prove his career change was necessitated by the accident, and the decrease in earnings was permanent. We investigated and accumulated the necessary evidence to close the case and earn a six-figure settlement for our client.
If you have been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, call James Hemsley on 020 8313 1300, or email him at james.hemsley@marsons.co.uk for a free, no obligation chat about whether you can make a no win, no fee claim.
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The information contained in this article is intended for general guidance only. It provides useful information but it is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice as the articles do not take into account specific circumstances. So do please Contact US for legal advice on the issues raised.
