Case Studies

Finucane Toner Solicitors recently obtained a settlement of £100,000 on behalf of a client after she contracted Covid-19 in the work-place in 2020. Our client, a retired nurse, answered the Government’s call for retired health care professionals to return to work during the Covid pandemic. Jack Dowling dealt with this matter. Our client made her employer aware that she had Type-2 Diabetes, despite this clear indication, the Defendant conducted no risk assessment as to where she could be deployed. She was assigned to a nursing home where she was not afforded the appropriate training as per her contract. Our client contracted COVID-19 within days of recommencing employment. She developed severe symptoms and required admission to hospital including a period of over 3 weeks in intensive care where she was intubated and ventilated. Although she was subsequently discharged and made a gradual recovery she still suffers from significant residual symptoms. The thrust of our client’s case was that she ought not to have been assigned to this nursing home without a proper risk assessment including consideration of her pre-existing health condition and the likely prevalence of Covid-19 within that particular home. Liability was admitted shortly after Finucane Toner sent a letter of claim to the Defendant. Thereafter, Finucane Toner gained independent medical evidence from Consultants in Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, ENT and Respiratory medicine. Our client’s injuries were examined thoroughly and her prognosis in each area was commented upon. Finucane Toner then instructed Counsel and Senior Counsel and entered into dialogue with the Defendant. Following short negotiations, an offer of £100,000 was offered to our client which was accepted. Given the novelty of the Covid-19 pandemic, this particular claim presented new questions to Finucane Toner which were addressed meticulously through research and expert consultants.