Man hit by Scaffolding Pole has Injury Compensation Approved

A man, who suffered a traumatic brain injury when a scaffolding pole fell 14 storeys and struck him on the head, has had a seven-figure settlement of scaffolding pole injury compensation approved at Bristol High Court.

Richard Chodkiewicz (54) from Lawrence Weston, Bristol, was a lift engineer and part of the construction team working on the conversion of the Radisson Blu Hotel in Broad Quay, Bristol, when the accident occurred in July 2008.

While Richard was working on the lift shaft on the ground floor of the building, a 50cm scaffolding pole weighing 3.7 Kg, which was being used as an improvised plumb line, slipped from the wire to which it had been attached and fell 14 storeys.

Despite wearing a hard hat, the force of the falling scaffolding pole on Richard´s head left him fighting for life at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, where he underwent emergency surgery and then spent more than six weeks in intensive care.

Richard did not return home for almost eighteen months after the accident, such were his injuries and his need for intense rehabilitation. The father-of-five now has limited movement, speech difficulties and requires twenty-four care due to his short-term memory problems.

Bristol Crown Court heard that Richard´s employer – Hoistway Ltd – and Miller Construction (UK), the company responsible for building the city centre hotel, had both been found in breach of health and safety regulations following a Health and Safety Executive investigation into the accident and the case was before the court for approval of negotiated damages only .

After hearing details of the undisclosed scaffolding pole injury compensation settlement, which will provide sufficient funds to compensate Richard for his loss of earnings and cover the costs of the lifetime of care he will now need, the court approved the settlement.