February 18, 2011
A former Royal Air Force (RAF) employee has won the right to seek personal injury compensation after a workplace team-building activity left him paralysed. Cornishman Robert Uren was just 21-years-old when he broke his neck after jumping into an inflatable pool in 2005, as he and his colleagues were taking part in an It's A Knockout style game at the High Wycombe base of the RAF. Unbeknownst to Mr Uren, the pool had just 46cm of water to dive into and his dive would have lifelong ramifications. His long lasting injuries mean he will need a wheelchair for the rest of his life and an initial claim for £6 million in personal injury compensation was denied in the High Court last year. With the help of his solicitors, that decision has now been overturned by the Court of Appeal, meaning that Mr Uren is legally eligible to pursue damages. Lady Justice Smith, one of the three judges who allowed Mr Uren's appeal, said a head-first entry into the pool carried a foreseeable risk of serious injury and should have been forbidden. Mr Uren will now challenge his former employers once more and is likely to receive a seven-figure compensation package to aid the care now needed in life. If you’ve injured yourself in the workplace and believe you are eligible for compensation, contact our solicitors today and see what options for recompense are available.