A Bolton woman who broke her foot while visiting a friend receiving treatment at a physiotherapy clinic has been awarded compensation.

Karen Galvin, 56, was walking from a basement room to the reception of Metro Health and Wellbeing when she placed her foot and fell on an unmarked step in the corridor, landing awkwardly.

Staff at the physiotherapy clinic provided medical assistance and Karen drove home. However, she woke the next morning in agony and her husband had to drive her to work. When the pain failed to subside, a colleague took her to the hospital, where x-rays revealed she had broken a bone in her left foot.

As the accident happened just before Christmas, Karen was unable to have surgery until the New Year and remained in a plaster cast for the festive season. She didn’t return to work for three months.

“One minute I was heading down the corridor, the next I was in agony on the floor,” she said. “I don’t understand why there wasn’t a sign, or at least why I wasn’t warned by a member of staff in advance.

“I tried to get on with my daily life as best as I could, but the pain was too excruciating. I wasn’t able to enjoy the festive season as I wasn’t able to move easily, and my injury continues to affect me to this day.”

"At Thompsons, we pride ourselves on ensuring injured people are not left out of pocket because of something that wasn’t their fault. We only hope Metro Health and Wellbeing has taken this incident seriously and has learned from its mistakes.”

Hayley Jukes Assistant Litigation Executive

Karen, who was a keen mountain hiker, now struggles to exercise and is limited in how far and often she can walk.

Union member Karen turned to Thompsons Solicitors for support with a compensation claim, securing a settlement package.

“The process of starting a claim could have been really daunting, but my solicitor explained it step-by-step and kept me informed regularly from start to finish,” she said. “Thompsons helped me secure compensation and ensured the business was held accountable for its dangerous premises.”

Hayley Jukes, of Thompsons Solicitors, said: “Karen turned to us for legal advice after months of pain and suffering, which was caused by an avoidable accident. She was unsure of what to do or who could help.

“At Thompsons, we pride ourselves on ensuring injured people are not left out of pocket because of something that wasn’t their fault. We investigated the premises, and it became apparent there were health and safety failings that led to her injury. We only hope Metro Health and Wellbeing has taken this incident seriously and has learned from its mistakes.”