Accidents Abroad

Passenger, whose fingertip was sliced off by P&O ferry door, is awarded compensation and calls for improved first-aid

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Lucy Hughes

Litigation Executive

4 min read time

A dad on a surprise birthday trip aboard a P&O ferry said it turned into a “terrifying ordeal” after the tip of his finger was sliced off by a faulty door. 

Allen Gardner of Hull was sailing overnight with his partner on the ‘Pride of Hull’ to Rotterdam but as they returned from a late-night walk on deck a door slammed shut trapping his finger.

“It was one of the most traumatic and devastating experiences me and my partner have ever encountered,” recalled Allen about the accident at sea, “the pain was terrible, I was in agony.” 

Staff managed to retrieve his fingertip and store it in a fridge, but Mr Gardner says the ferry was only able to supply him with basic paracetamol as a painkiller and a bag of ice to take to his cabin. 

 

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A visit to the hospital

I had to wait 12 hours before we arrived in Rotterdam to get to a hospital and see a doctor. In all that time my finger had not been dressed properly. It’s caused nothing but severe stress, worry and anxiety.

Following an X-ray the hospital confirmed the finger bone was broken, the wound was then dressed and, following a tetanus jab, Mr Gardner was prescribed antibiotics and painkillers. 

They couldn’t reattach the tip as it had been off too long and so we got a taxi straight back to the ferry and sailed home again. 

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Back in England

On his return after the accident in November 2023, Mr Gardner was treated at Hull Royal Infirmary, and Castlehill Hospital in Cottingham over the coming months as his wound required a new dressing every three days,  

I still have difficulty picking things up and gripping with my right hand and often drop things. 

After contacting Hudgell Solicitors’ legal experts in accidents abroad Mr Gardner was eventually awarded compensation. He was represented by Lucy Hughes who specialises in accidents at sea: 

The door forcefully slammed shut onto my client’s hand because the spring on the retaining hinge was not working properly.  

My client had opened the steel door and let his partner pass through, but the door was stiff and heavy and, because of the fault, it slammed shut with great force, trapping his finger and taking off the tip. 

We claimed this was caused by negligence and that P&O Ferries had breached their duty to keep their passengers safe. 

We also claimed that P&O had failed to institute an adequate inspection and maintenance system which would have detected and repaired the defective door. 

My client was put at risk of an accident and injury they ought to have known about.  

The company acknowledged the claim in a timely way, and I am pleased the matter was settled out of court, and he and his partner could eventually have a belated birthday celebration.

P&O Ferries agreed a damages award of £7,000 for Mr Gardner’s injury and the loss of his holiday. 

Mr Gardner said he and his partner recently returned to Rotterdam on the ‘Pride of Hull’ and noted that the same deck door had now been repaired. 

I was glad to see there was a new hinge because, if it had happened to a child, things could have been far worse, as it took my fingertip clean off like a mousetrap. 

I would like to see their first aid provision improved though; I thought it was pretty poor. They didn’t have the correct dressings for the wound, it was covered with an eye patch overnight and there was no proper medical person. 

An NHS nurse who was also travelling at the same time looked at it the next morning and said she was shocked at how they dressed it. 

I’m happy with the settlement, Lucy did a fantastic job, and I was kept informed and updated right the way through.

Accidents at sea

Whenever you are on board a vessel of any kind, whether for work or leisure, the operator has a duty of care to you and should take all reasonable steps to protect you from the risk of accidents and injury.

Accident at sea claims cover vessels such as:

  • Ferries and ocean liners.
  • Pleasure crafts such yachts, jet skis, pedalos and speed boats.

If you suffer an accident or injury that was caused by poor safety measures or as a result of someone else’s negligence, you could bring a compensation claim against them.

Read more: Experts in Accidents at Sea

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