Maria Pilkington and our Personal Injury team recently secured a £12,000 settlement for Ms. M, a 42-year-old mother, who suffered injuries after tripping and falling while dropping her daughter off at school.
A Simple Trip That Led to Serious Injury
After dropping her daughter at her classroom, Ms. M was walking along the path outside the classroom, which was made up of paving slabs. She tripped on a raised edge of one of the slabs and fell heavily, cutting her knee badly on the sharp edge of another slab that was also sticking up. In addition to the knee injury, she sustained bruising to her shoulder, wrist, and cheekbone.
In severe pain, Ms. M had to be helped to her car by other parents, and was taken to hospital where she required stitches for the deep cut on her leg.
A Struggle for Accountability
We immediately took action, bringing a claim against the local council responsible for maintaining the school’s grounds. However, the council initially denied responsibility, stating that school staff had seen the fall and that Ms. M did not trip as she claimed.
We then gathered witness evidence from another parent, walking behind Ms. M had witnessed her trip. This independent evidence confirmed Ms. M’s version of events.
Despite this new evidence, the council’s legal representatives continued to deny liability. Believing the case still had merit, we arranged for Ms. M to be examined by an independent medical expert who confirmed her injuries and provided a prognosis.
Negotiating a Fair Settlement
We proceeded with court action, and once the proceedings were served, the council made an offer to settle the claim. However, we rejected their initial offer as it was too low. After further negotiations, we secured a settlement of £12,000, which compensated Ms. M for her injuries.
Get the Compensation You Deserve
If you’ve been injured in a slip, trip, or fall and are unsure where to turn, we can help. Contact us today to discuss your potential claim and how we can fight to secure the compensation you deserve. You can call us on 0122 312306 or email us law@oliverandco.co.uk, our expert team is ready to speak to you and see how we can help.
