Bartletts help council tenant win compensation after electrocution from botched building work

As an occupier of a rented property, your landlord has a duty of care to ensure that you are safe while you are in the property and using any of the facilities provided. This duty of care extends so that any work carried out on the property must also meet the requisite health and safety standards. If there is a defect in the property, and you are hurt as a result, you could be able to claim compensation for personal injuries. This is just what happened to a young man who was renting a property from his local council. The council needed to carry out some repairs to the property and engaged a sub-contractor to do some plastering work. However, the plasterer allegedly plastered over a light switch so that when the tenant switched it on he got an electric shock. Following the electrical shock, the young man began to feel very nervous around light switches and electrical items, he feared that he might get electrocuted again. Before the accident he was already suffering from stress and anxiety, and his symptoms worsened over the next 12 months. Fortunately, the young man was able to get some further counselling for his psychological issues from his mental health team and had recovered back to his former heath with three years. When he came to see one of Bartletts personal injury solicitors in Chester, the young man was in a very distressed state, and felt let down by the council. Our lawyers sympathetically advised him on the best course of action and persisted on his behalf to track down who was responsible for the accident. Eventually, after going through the council and two sets of subcontractors, we helped him claim compensation for the electrical shock and psychological issues. The claim was settled out of court to avoid any further stress, with excellent negotiation by one of our expert personal injury solicitors taking account of his pre-existing medical condition. If you have suffered an accident or injury that wasn’t your fault contact one of our personal injury teams today at our Chester or Wrexham offices on 0800 988 3674 or 0333 200 4465  or email advice@bartletts.co.uk