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11th August 2008

Health care assistant awarded compensation after accident resulted in hip replacement

Slipped at work

A health care assistant who was forced to have a hip replacement after an accident whilst working for the Newcastle General Hospital has been awarded significant compensation. The woman, from Tyne and Wear, was supported with her claim against Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust by UNISON and Thompsons Solicitors.

In April 2006, the woman was working at the Newcastle General Hospital when she was ‘buzzed’ by an elderly patient who needed attention. As she made her way through a corridor towards the patient, she slipped on a cleaning gel solution used by visitors, nurses and patients to wash their hands.

Accident at work resulted in a fractured hip

The woman, who has 34 years experience, fell heavily to the floor and felt immediate pain in her right hand side. The accident resulted in a fractured hip for which she required immediate surgery. Unfortunately the operation was unsuccessful and she eventually needed an entire hip replacement which has left her with a permanent shortening of one leg. After the accident, she could no longer work and was eventually retired on medical grounds.

She explains: “After 34 years in a job that I’ve loved, I was looking forward to a normal retirement. Instead, I’ve been left with permanent damage to my hip which has caused me no end of difficulties. If simple measures had been taken to ensure that the floor was safe for me and others to walk on, I would not have been put in this position.”

Representing the woman at Thompsons Solicitors, Nicola Waugh, said: “There should have been a system in place to ensure that hospital workers, patients and visitors could walk freely along the corridors without any danger to them. The hospital was aware that there had been other instances involving this particular cleaning fluid but did not take appropriate steps to remove any chance of danger.”

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or anyone you know has suffered an injury at work after, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms.