Teacher Awarded £150,000 after Accident at Work

When we think of injuries caused by accidents in the work place, we usually think of trips and falls caused by spillages or misplaced wires, or staff using faulty equipment that hasn’t had the sufficient checks it needs. However, that’s not always the case; a report in the Daily Mail is about a teacher who has been awarded £150,000 after she lost her voice trying to make herself heard in the classroom.

The report reveals that Joyce Walters, 50, damaged her vocal cords after straining to raise her voice above the volume of noise coming from a nearby playground. As a result, she was forced to quit her job and the 50-year-old says she now struggles with everyday tasks such as talking on the phone, and suffers from a sore throat when she raises her voice in bars.

In total, Mrs Walters received £156,000 in out-of-court settlements from her council after claiming she could never teach again. Experts say this is one of the largest payouts of its kind, and creates an example of the growing culture of compensation claims and payouts. Last year, another teacher was awarded £173, 595 for dislocating an ankle during playground duty.

When asked about her injuries, Mrs Walters told the Daily Mail: “Teaching was my calling, I adored the classroom and miss it so much, but the problems with my voice make it impossible for me to ever go back. I have to think twice about day-to-day things, like speaking on the phone.”

The reason people are granted the right to make compensation claims is because the government recognises their right not to suffer injury due to the negligence of another. Mrs Walters expressed that she tried to get the council to change the classroom she taught in, but even after her pleas to do so, she was still assigned the same classroom.  

If you have suffered any injury at work that wasn’t your fault, then you may be able to make an injury compensation claim. For more information on a possible claim, contact the Injury Lawyers today.