Man awarded £10,500 after severing finger in hospital shower

A hospital registrar has been awarded £10,500 compensation after he had to have part of a finger amputated following an accident in a shower cubicle.

The registrar had finished his shift at the hospital and decided to take a shower. The room was dark as there were no windows and no functioning lights.

As he was getting out of the shower he placed his right index finger in the open hinge of the automatic door. It closed, trapping his finger.

He needed to undergo a partial amputation of the tip of his finger. Afterwards, the area was sensitive to touch and to the cold.

He had to take six weeks off work as he underwent physiotherapy. He needed to adapt his day-to-day activities by using his middle finger.

The registrar brought an action against the hospital saying it had been negligent in failing to provide proper lighting in the shower room.

The hospital denied liability saying the door and the lighting weren’t ‘work equipment’. It also argued that while the shower door closed automatically, it didn’t close unduly quickly.

The two sides agreed to an out-of-court settlement of £10,500 to cover the registrar’s pain, suffering and loss of amenity.

Please contact Sarah Wealeans for more information if you have been in an accident that wasn’t your fault and would like to claim compensation