A lift engineer left paralysed after falling through the side of a glass lift has gained £3.4 million compensation with the help of Coles Miller Solicitors.
The accident happened several years ago. The then 44-year-old engineer had been working on a lift at a site undergoing construction work.
He had been in the partially dismantled lift car. It was being used to transport parts that had already been taken off.
As the lift car descended, the engineer travelled with it – supporting the 2.2m-high doorframe which still had the electric motor and door-opening mechanism attached.
But the large and top-heavy doorframe became unsteady. The engineer was knocked off balance. He fell through the glass side of the lift, dropping two metres to the floor. The 50-60kg doorframe and motor landed on top of him.
He suffered severe and permanent spinal injuries – complete paraplegia, including:
- total loss of sensation in the lower abdomen, pelvis and legs
- total paralysis in the lower abdomen and legs
- impaired breathing complications.
He will need medical care for the rest of his life. The accident also left him with:
- significant chest injuries including 16 broken ribs, bleeding from his fractured breastbone, a torn blood vessel to the heart
- a large cut to the head – it needed 38 stitches
- a fractured wrist and dislocated knee.
He has constant pain and stiffness in his right shoulder girdle. He also suffers significant pain in his spine, severely affecting his daily life.
The victim was in a coma after his accident. He has since sustained short-term memory loss – with the risk of possible other cognitive and neurological impairment.
He claimed compensation with the help of Coles Miller’s personal injury solicitors. They specialise in serious injuries, including spinal claims.
The victim took legal action against four companies involved in the building work at the site, accusing them of a series of safety failures. All four defendants denied liability.
Following a three-day joint settlement meeting, the victim accepted £3.4 million in compensation.
His claim was handled by Coles Miller Managing Partner Adrian Cormack, head of the firm’s Personal Injury Department.
Mr Cormack said: “Our client suffered appalling, life-changing injuries because of a series of safety failures at the construction site where he was working.
“The size of the compensation package reflects the extreme severity of our client’s injuries and how much care and rehabilitation he needs to help him rebuild his life after what happened.”
Coles Miller has set up a personal injury trust to help the client and will continue to assist him after his legal victory.
The firm has extensive experience of multi-million pound serious injury and medical negligence compensation claims.
Coles Miller has offices in Poole, Fleetsbridge, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Wimborne and Broadstone.
For more information, contact Coles Miller Marketing Director Nick Balchin.
