Man seriously injured after being hit by falling ladders

The man sustained injuries to his neck, shoulders and head, for which he was forced to undergo surgery. He now suffers from ongoing headaches and pain as a result of the incident, which occurred in January 2021. He also continues to struggle with anxiety and depression following the incident.

The self-employed joiner, 60, has not been able to work since the incident, and lost a business he had recently founded. The physical demands of his profession are now beyond his capabilities due to his injuries.

His injury happened when he was walking on a path between his house and his neighbour’s property, where building work was being carried out. Some ladders - which should have been properly secured to the scaffolding – fell onto the man.

Following the incident, he began to experience severe neck pain, and scans established he had suffered nerve damage, which have impeded his ability to be able to live as he used to. Coupled with the psychological impact, his injuries have had a profound effect on the life he once enjoyed.

His wife and daughter initially had to support him with basic tasks such as dressing, washing, cooking and cleaning. While he began to regain independence, ongoing fatigue meant he continues to be limited in what he could do.

The man turned to law firm Slater and Gordon for support in rebuilding his life. Gulderen Salih, a senior associate and serious injury specialist, acted for him in securing a settlement.

“This was a traumatic incident for our client and his family, which saw a man who had worked all his life initially become dependent on his wife and daughter as a result of his serious injury. While he has recovered well, he continues to battle ongoing physical and psychological issues, which impact on all aspects of his life,” says Gulderen.

“This was a very avoidable situation and this man has been forced to rebuild his life at a time he should instead have been working on his new business and planning ahead for a happy and well-deserved retirement.

“We are very pleased to have been able to support him in accessing the very specialist medical care he needed to help in his recovery, and to have secured a settlement which will provide for our client and his family financially.”