Farleys’ personal injury team was approached by Ms R about the possibility of making a claim for compensation after she was injured in an accident at work.

Background

Ms R was working as a waitress at the time of the accident. She was using a coffee machine to prepare a drink for a customer. As she removed what should have been an empty portafilter from the machine to fill it with coffee, boiling hot water flew from the portafilter and landed on Ms R’s chest. The skin on her chest immediately went red and began to blister. Ms R administered basic first aid to herself.

In the days following the accident, Ms R continued to experience discomfort from the burn which seemed to be weeping. She attended her local A&E department where she was referred to the Burns Unit at another hospital. A thick dressing was applied to the wound and she had regular follow-up appointments to check on the healing. She also took painkillers to manage the pain.

The burn eventually heeled well but Ms R was left with pigmentation difference and scarring.

How Farleys Were Able to Help

Ms R instructed Holly Barnes of Farleys’ personal injury team to act on her behalf in a claim against her employer. Holly instructed a consultant plastic surgeon to provide an expert prognosis on the extent of the damage.

We argued on Ms R’s behalf that the accident had been caused as a result of the coffee machine not being properly cleaned. The Defendant did not have a sufficient safe system of cleaning and training procedures in place; as a result, an injury was sustained.

Ms R’s employers denied liability so court proceedings were issued and the case was listed for trial. Prior to the hearing, Holly was able to successfully negotiate a settlement of £5,000 without the need to go to court. The settlement covered the cost of travel to various hospital appointments, parking, and over the counter medication as well as the pain and suffering the accident caused Ms R.

Holly commented,

Ms R suffered a nasty injury as a result of a safe system of work not being in place. We were pleased to have been able to recover this settlement on her behalf which will hopefully go some way to providing closure on her experience.

Contact a Specialist in Accident at Work Claims

If you have suffered an accident at work due to negligence that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Contact Farleys’ personal injury specialists for a free assessment of your case on 0845 287 0939, get in touch by email, or talk to us through the online chat below.