Carer awarded £18,000 after breaking her leg while visiting a patient

A carer, who was forced to quit her job when she broke her thigh bone while visiting a patient, has been awarded £18,000 to fund her loss of earnings, care and physiotherapy.

Jean Taylor, from Oxted in Surrey was visiting a patient with her colleague Sue Simmons in February 2010 when Ms Simmons’ puppy ran between her feet and tripped her over as she was putting some shopping away.

Ms Taylor was rushed to East Surrey Hospital by ambulance where an X-ray showed she had broken her thigh bone in the fall and spent eight days being treated before needing months of physiotherapy to help improve movement in her leg.

The-65-year-old grandmother-of-one contacted personal injury experts at law firm Irwin Mitchell and has now been awarded £18,000 after she had to give up her job and needed months of physiotherapy.

Katy Bailey, a specialist injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who represented Ms Taylor said: “This was a horrendous accident that caused Jean to suffer a serious injury. She needed months of support and rehabilitation services. Sadly her injuries will impact on her for the rest of her life so the settlement awarded to her reflects that.

“We urge workers to consider their colleague’s safety at all times and not do anything that could jeopardise it to prevent further incidents like this.”

Ms Taylor said: “Sue and I regularly worked together and when she said she was bringing her puppy along I was concerned but assumed she would keep it on a lead.

“Unbeknown to me Sue let it off the lead and the next thing I knew it was under my feet, causing me to fall hard onto the kitchen floor.

“I was in absolutely agony. Doctors told me the thigh bone is one of the most difficult to break but I must have landed awkwardly.

“I had to give up my job as a carer at the time because I couldn’t walk and my husband and elderly mother took it in turns to care for me. “I’m unable to wear high heels again and I have had to give up playing badminton with my family which I loved to do but I’m just relieved the matter is now over and I can put the ordeal behind me.”