Injuries Direct - Personal Injury Claims

A former soldier has won his public liability compensation claim after a horrific slipping accident at a council recycling centre.

Frank Sharpe, 57, was getting rid of a cardboard box at the Doncaster site after setting up for a wedding anniversary barbeque in August 2005. He had walked up the 10foot ramp of the cardboard waste disposer when his left foot suddenly slipped on the surface. His right foot then twisted and became stuck on the ramp, while his slipped back down on his right thigh.

He was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary and treated for a broken leg. However, surgery didn’t work as well as expected and he was told that he would have his leg amputated above the knee after picking up a deep infection.

Desperate to save his leg, Mr Sharpe asked for a second opinion and was referred to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, where ongoing treatment may have saved his leg by repairing the catastrophic damage to his knee.

He will find out in around one month whether the infection has cleared enough for him to undergo a knee replacement operation.

Mr Sharpe’s public liability compensation claim payout was said to be ‘substantial’ and was agreed in an out of court settlement.

He said: “For the last four years my wife has had to help me wash, dress and use the bathroom, and I’ve been unable to work at all. Now that the compensation claim has been settled, my family and I can concentrate on moving on with our lives.”