Lady seeks £975,000 in compensation after accident at work
Ms Bateman, A pub landlady is suing her brewery after she fell through the rungs on a ladder resulting in her accidentally ‘hanging herself’.
Ms Bateman climbed the ladder to gain access to the attic of the pub in order to put the Christmas decorations away. A bolt securing the ladder in place came away and she fell though the rungs, knocking herself unconscious. As a result Ms Bateman suffered a broken jaw, injuries to her neck and lost a tooth.
Ms Bateman does not have any recollection of the accident but it is believed that she was suspended from the ladder by her neck for a significant period of time before falling to the floor. Ms Bateman said: “I don’t have any recollection of the accident. I remember going up and I remember waking up with the ladder on top of my body.”
Ms Bateman is suing brewery W H Brakspear and Sons for £975,000. Ms Bateman initially believed that the injuries she had sustained were minor and would heal. She underwent an MRI scan that showed that her neck and spine were seriously damaged, forcing her to give up work.
However, defence lawyers are arguing that Ms Bateman has left it too long to claim damages for the accident, with two years having passed between the accident and the onset of the claim.