£9,000 for Woman Injured When Wardrobe Door Fell on Her Foot

A holidaymaker who suffered a broken foot when a defective wardrobe door in her hotel room fell on her has received compensation from the tour operator.

The accident happened on the last night of the young woman's holiday in Greece. She and her partner were packing their suitcases when the wardrobe door came off and fell onto her foot.

She had to walk barefoot through the airport the following day, as she was unable to wear a shoe. On her return to the UK she attended A&E, where X-rays showed that she had sustained three fractures to her foot. She was given a boot and crutches and subsequently had an operation to insert a metal plate and screws into her foot.

Following the operation, she had difficulty dressing herself, cooking and driving, and needed help from her family. She continued to experience pain for months afterwards, and is now unable to wear certain types of shoes.

She brought a claim against the tour operator, arguing that it had breached its duty of care to her by failing to ensure that the hotel room and the furniture in it was safe. Medical evidence was obtained indicating that she may have suffered a permanent deformity of her toe.

Although the tour operator did not admit liability for her injuries, it agreed to settle her claim for £9,000.