Woman gets $120,000 compensation for falling down hospital stairs

After being attended to for an injury to the elbow, 53-year-old Veronica Grant was leaving the Port-of-Spain General Hospital when she slipped and injured herself while descending a flight of wet and slippery stairs. For the injuries sustained from that fall she was awarded $120,000.

Assessment for damages was completed last week by Master Brenda Paray Durity. Master Paray-Durity ordered that Grant be paid Special Damages in the sum of $45,831 with interest from 1997; General Damages in the sum of $35,000; loss of pecuniary prospects in the sum of $20,000; costs of future surgery in the sum of $16,000; costs of physiotherapy in the sum of $4,8000 and costs for her advocate attorney.

Grant,  of Main Road, Couva, who worked as a washer at a laundry,  was represented by attorney Ken Sagar, instructed by Yaseen Ahmed. At the trial stage before Justice Alan Mendonca, the State agreed to pay Grant damages and costs. On December 23, 1997, Grant had injured her elbow when she fell off a table and went to the hospital for treatment. After being examined, and no neurological defect was found, save a swollen and tender elbow, she was discharged.

Unaware that a  flight of stairs at the hospital was wet and slippery, Grant began to descend the stairs when she slipped and fell down three flight of stairs. Her injuries were severe. She suffered injuries to the head and right shoulder, neck pain,  fracture of spinous process of C3 and cerebral concussions. These injuries, among other things,  affected Grant’s ability to play her favourite sport —windball cricket.  She also has problems working or doing  her household chores.