Anthony’s Story: A Fall That Halted a Chef’s Career

Client Stories

A routine Saturday at a public auction turned into a life-changing event for Anthony, when a serious fall caused by poorly maintained steps stopped him from making his next career move. Determined to prevent others from suffering a similar fate, he took a stand, and sought not only compensation for his injuries but also improvements to health and safety standards.

The Accident

Anthony was attending a public auction at 150-year-old auction house, as he does every Saturday. On the day of the accident, he was exiting the building via a set of concrete steps. As he reached the bottom, he tripped over loose concrete surrounding a drainage area. Anthony explained: “My foot went sideways, and I heard the crack.”

He suffered injuries to his arm and shoulder, and a later X-ray revealed Anthony had sustained a broken foot in the fall.

The Impact

“Overnight my life dramatically changed. I had just been offered a new job with an increase in salary. The accident happened on the Saturday, and I was due to start on the Monday.”

Anthony, a chef manager by trade, has been in the industry for 40 years. The new role would have been an opportunity to launch a new site and put his stamp on a project of his own.

“They were going to wait around for me to recover. I didn’t know how long this was going to be, and they thanked me for being honest with them, but then that position obviously went.”

It wasn’t just his career that was impacted, the toll of the injury also changed his home life.

“Mentally it surprises you, as you can’t even get up and get yourself ready. With the children I couldn’t go out and do the normal stuff I do with them. There was pressure on my wife to be there. She was helping me go to the toilet, get things out of the cupboard. It was like she had another child on her hands.”

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Making a personal injury claim

In the immediate aftermath Anthony wasn’t thinking about making a claim.

“I literally was getting through and adjusting day to day, and I then suddenly I said, ‘hold on a minute’, I was expecting to get paid a really good salary at the end of the month, and it was suddenly not there. Like everyone, I have bills and a mortgage to pay.

“It meant I had to go into my savings to get through that month. I didn’t know how long this injury would take.

“I have never had an issue with working. If I needed work in the past, I would pick up the phone, call an agency, and there was work. All of a sudden I couldn’t, which was a worry when you are supporting a family.”

Making a stand

“I thought what if I don’t make a stand, the venue would think nothing more of it, and how would I feel if I found at someone else fell? I felt obliged to do something about it.”

Making a claim with Express

Alex Garven, Associate at Express Solicitors Occupiers’ and Public Liability team took on Anthony’s case.

Anthony said: “Every time [I called] they would put you through and speak to someone straight away. Even if it wasn’t Alex, they could explain what was happening. It made me feel in control of the situation.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Alex. I felt very comfortable with him straight away, you didn’t feel like you were speaking to some kind of ‘major solicitor’, talking down to you. He spoke to you like he was speaking to a friend.”

“Alex is very knowledgeable but didn’t try and bamboozle me with lots of different terminology. He explained things in layman’s terms, I knew exactly what was happening and why.

Straight away, I felt like I was working with a team.”

Recovery

Anthony is still recovering from the accident and expects it to take another nine months until he makes a full recovery. However, his life is slowly getting back to normal and his career is now back on track. “I have now got a new job. They were happy to wait for me to get back to 100%.

“I felt like I got my money back. It wasn’t my fault, why should I be dipping in to my savings? I felt that justice had been done.”

Health and safety Improvements

From the moment the accident happened, Anthony wanted to help prevent others going through what he has had to endure. “What was most fulfilling for me was to see the reaction, things changed from a health and safety point of view [at the auction house]. There are now lots of ‘please don’t walk here’ and ‘beware’ signs. I think this woke them up, and for me, I have made a difference.”

Anthony was awarded over £12,000 in compensation. “The communication was brilliant. It makes such a massive difference when you are in pain every day. You are in a position you shouldn’t be in which is affecting you and your family. You don’t want to be in a position where you a chasing your solicitor and wondering what’s going on. ‘Do I need to do this, do that?’ – the process was made so easy for me. I would recommend Express 100% without a doubt.”

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If you’ve slipped, tripped or fallen and suffered injuries that weren’t your fault, you may be able to claim compensation. Our team is on hand to listen to your story and assist you in making a personal injury claim. Start your claim today. Contact Us | Express Solicitors

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