At the time of the accident, our client, a qualified marine engineer who was working as a deckhand, sustained serious injuries when he was struck by a buoy used as lifting equipment.
Our client was engaged in removing a buoy from a fish farm. The buoy was hoisted above the deck of the boat on which our client was working. The buoy fell, striking and causing him injuries. The pursuer sustained multiple physical injuries, including injuries to his left kidney, spleen, pelvis, fractures to the T1 and T7 of his spine, collar bone, and left brachial plexus injury.
Our client was at a very early stage in his career but had previously worked offshore and on superyachts in this marine engineering role. He had been eligible for the Seafarers Earnings Deduction in previous roles, meaning he had pre-accident potential of earning tax-free.
We intimated the claim to the pursuer’s employer and the owner of the fish farm and ingathered extensive medical evidence from a number of different medical experts showing the client could no longer work as a marine engineer. We collaborated closely with medical and employment experts to identify realistic employment options. We also sourced empirical data from a marine recruiter to support that the pursuer had promising career progression and earning potential had the accident not happened.
Liability was not officially admitted for the accident. There were also allegations that the pursuer was standing in an unsafe place and had contributed to the accident. We therefore instructed a marine expert to support liability and rebut any argument that the pursuer was partly responsible for the accident.
Through detailed evidence and expert collaboration, we secured a settlement of £1.3 million being over three times the initial offer.
