Life-changing settlement for Latvian man who suffered traumatic amputation

Arturs Anmanis had only been working on a fishing vessel for a matter of weeks when he was involved in an accident that would cost him his thumb. 

The Latvian national joined a fishing crew catching crabs and lobsters in Scottish waters hoping to gain work experience and save money for his future.

On the day of the accident he was bringing in lobster creels when his left thumb got caught between two ropes.

Arturs said the: “Next thing I saw was my finger dropping at my feet and a lot of blood spilling out.

“I didn’t feel any pain which was really strange, but when I looked at my hand I could see my thumb had been ripped off.”

Emergency protocols were followed with the ship sailing to the harbour closest to them, Scrabster Harbour in Thurso.

“Unfortunately…”

The 24-year-old was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary carrying his severed thumb in a box of ice hoping it might be saved.

But then, Arturs said he was hit with a second wave of pain: “The doctor said ‘unfortunately we won’t be able to save your thumb’.

“I felt like a big failure because I went abroad to gather some good experience and make some money and now it's all wasted. 

“I will need to live the rest of my life without my thumb which will be difficult.

“I felt absolutely devastated.”

After 11 days in hospital, he was discharged.

Digby Brown was the best choice

Alone and thousands of miles away from his family Arturs struggled with the physical and emotional effects of the accident. 

It was his friend who researched Scottish law firms and found Digby Brown had the best range of skills and expertise to help him rebuild his life.

The firm has a dedicated Foreign and Travel Law department which specialises in accidents abroad and helping foreign nationals injured while in Scotland whether on holiday or for work.

This was a complex case as the traumatic amputation would have long term impacts on Arturs ability to do everyday tasks. Digby Brown’s specialist legal experts were able to secure Arturs two interim payments to help him with costs but, most importantly, to secure him prosthetics which they knew he would benefit from. 

An external prosthetics expert reviewed the case and advised Arturs would need two different devices – a silicone digit for cosmetic purposes and a Thumb Driver that would allow him to take part in activities he loved like riding his motorbike.

For Arturs this was a turning point: “I'm definitely thankful for that and it has helped me mentally because when amputations happen it's not only physical scars they leave, but also emotional scars and those are sometimes tougher to deal with.

“I have this silicone digit and it looked pretty much the same as my other thumb and then I have the Thumb Driver. 

“It kind of helps you to get closer to what life would still be like if the accident had never happened.

“I use these prosthetics regularly and they both serve different purposes.

“They are amazing, absolutely amazing.”

Looking to the future

Two offers of compensation were rejected as they did not reflect the long-term impact the injury was going to have on Arturs. 

A third and final offer of £300,000 was then made and accepted.

Stephen Duff, Senior Associate in the Foreign and Travel Department, said: “When investigating these types of cases we don’t just look at the immediate impact of the accident but also what it means for the person’s future.

“The loss of a digit can have long lasting and profound impacts on someone’s life which is why it was vital we secured a settlement that not only reflects the seriousness of the injury, but that can support him with the ongoing costs of prosthetics.

“Sadly many foreign nationals don’t realise they are entitled to help if they are in an accident or injured while in Scotland. They often think they do not have the same rights as British nationals but we should all be able to go to work and come home safely.

“Because Arturs contacted us soon after the accident happened we were able to put a number of provisions in place to aid his recovery and I am so happy to see how far he has come.”

Arturs added: “I had zero expectations whatsoever in terms of a settlement and I am extremely grateful to Digby Brown for all the work they have done on my behalf. 

“When I first had the accident, I was worried about the future but now I’m thinking about doing a master’s degree and the future looks good.”