Bartletts personal injury solicitors in Chester recently helped a mother of two make a claim for personal injury against her landlord after the woman and her daughter became ill as a result of damp in their rented accommodation.
The 31-year-old woman lived with her partner and daughter in rented accommodation for three years. Over this period, failure by the landlord to properly maintain the property caused it to fall into a state of disrepair, allowing significant penetrating damp.
The dampness of the property caused the woman to have a number of chest infections and exacerbated her asthma, which became more severe during the winter months. The daughter also developed asthma and bronchiolitis as a result of the damp, which was so severe that she had to be admitted to hospital on various occasions.
The mother was able to self-medicate for her symptoms but went to see her GP about her asthma and chest infections. Her GP was able to identify the cause of the problems as the dampness in her property. The daughter had to have hospital treatment on two occasions and was given antibiotics and an inhaler.
The woman came to see Bartletts experienced personal injury solicitors in Chester, our lawyers quickly set about establishing a claim for personal injury compensation. Bartletts organised for a surveyor to inspect the house to establish that the dampness was penetrating rather than condensation dampness. With this evidence, and support form an independent medical expert in relation to the illnesses suffered, and records from the woman’s GP, our personal injury solicitors successfully brought a claim against the landlord for personal injury and rent and deposit reimbursement.
Bartletts then skilfully negotiated out of the tenancy agreement with the landlord so the woman and her family could move house. Since moving house, the mother and daughter’s health problems have disappeared.