£48,000 plus legal costs for holidaymaker struck by falling ladder at Mauritius hotel

Our team advised a client who was struck by a falling ladder while relaxing in a hammock in the grounds of her five-diamond deluxe-rated hotel on a package holiday in Mauritius.

She was knocked to the ground sustaining multiple injuries including a comminuted and displaced fracture to the dominant right distal radius, a blow to the head, extensive damage to her teeth, widespread generalised bruising and soft tissue injuries as well as shock and distress. She required surgery on her wrist on several occasions as well as undergoing steroid injections and extensive physiotherapy.

Our client was left with significant residual symptoms in her wrist which included constant pain, weakness, stiffness and restriction of movement. There was a 40% risk that she would develop further osteoarthritis in the wrist. She required restorative dental work and was diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Her daily activities and hobbies were also adversely affected.

We subsequently discovered that the ladder had been left leaning against a nearby palm tree as hotel staff attempted to replace some lights hanging in the tree.

We secured an admission of liability from the tour operator and attended a mediation to resolve the outstanding issues regarding the value of the claim. This resulted in a final settlement figure of £48,000 plus legal costs.

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