Roofer secures six-figure sum after career ending injury

In the week before Christmas, David Gibson found himself in hospital with multiple fractures in both legs after an injury at work. 

He had fallen more than 20 feet while working on a roof in Moffat after a ladder hook broke off.

Not only was he going to be spending Christmas in hospital, but he was also facing the end of his career working as a roofer.

The worst work accident colleagues had seen in decades

David recalled: “I was using a roof ladder which hooks over the side of the building when suddenly the hook snapped off - I fell two storeys to the ground landing on my feet.

“I tried to stand up - to make sure I was still alive - and that’s when I realised I had broken both my legs.

“I was in shock. I wasn’t screaming in pain I just sat there.”

The 47-year-old was taken by ambulance to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary where he would spend the next 12 days with both legs in plaster.

He had a fracture running from the top of his right leg to his ankle, a break to the heel bone on his left foot and soft tissue damage to the rotator cuff on his left shoulder.

Only his wife was able to visit him on Christmas Day, with his two young children sending their love from afar due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

David and his family moved into his in-laws’ bungalow for the next three months due to his limited mobility.

The right support matters

David didn’t think about reaching out for help with a work injury claim until he was told he could be off work for a long time.
He was recommended to contact Digby Brown Partner, Damian White, by someone Damian had previously helped.

David said: “Damian is a good guy, he was always polite and very professional in the work he did.

“He would come down and visit me when he could and we would do video calls.

“If there was something he wanted to talk about or if we hadn’t caught up for a while he would come down and see me.”

To build an accurate picture of the impact the accident was having on David’s life, Damian secured witness statements, medical reports and photographs of the scene illustrating the severity of the accident.

But it was the additional counselling and physiotherapy Damian arranged for David that had the biggest impact:

 “I had a few counselling sessions on the NHS but I’m really glad Damian arranged more because it’s not something I would have thought of, but I was in a bad place.

“The private physio was different to the NHS too. The physiotherapist gave me acupuncture and used a TENS machine to help with my pain. 

“After the acupuncture it was the best nights sleep I had since the accident.

“I don’t think my recovery would have gone as well without this support in place.”

Looking to the future

David’s injuries meant he was unable to continue working in the roofing trade, so securing a settlement that could support his family was even more important. 

Damian negotiated a six-figure sum, ensuring the family could make arrangements which would support David’s ongoing recovery.

David said: “I’m forever grateful for what Damian has done for me and my family.

“He gave us an opportunity to move into a decent house - maybe a bungalow - so it’s easier for me in the long run.

“We’ve got a future secured now thanks to Digby Brown.”