Warrnambool injury compensation law firm, Arnold Thomas & Becker recently obtained a $250,000 compensation payout for disability worker injured at Hopkins Falls.
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Court documents state the plaintiff was a Karingal Disability Support Service worker in 2016.
The plaintiff was injured when she fell from a hoist on the back of a minivan used to transport her disabled clients to daily outings.
AT&B practice manager Nicole Elliott-Struth said the client broke her ankle and knee and suffered a psychological injury.
"The employer's negligence to provide adequate conditions and safety training has rendered our client unable to work for some time," she said.
On the day of the injury, the worker took two disabled clients out to the Hopkins Falls, east of Warrnambool.
The car park surface was gravel and described as uneven with potholes.
One of the disabled passengers the worker was transporting was able to walk and the other wheelchair bound.
In order to disembark a wheelchair bound passenger from the minibus, the worker was required to use a rear wheelchair loader hoist.
Ms Elliott-Struth said that due to the height of the worker she was unable to access the safety buckles at the rear of the wheelchair.
"As such she was required to ride the wheelchair hoist platform up and down," she said.
Once at the falls on her descend down the platform, she stepped off backwards from the plate onto uneven ground about 20cm from the ground.
"She fell as she stepped off breaking her ankle and severely damaging her knee," she said.
"Our client's system of work was unsafe. She was never advised to lower the platform fully to the ground before alighting and that in fact most employees did not lower the platform to the ground before stepping off.
"Needing a knee replacement at 40 years old is an injury common to someone twice her age and will take a significant rehabilitation to get her back on her feet."
Following the incident and prior to the court hearing, Karingal updated its safety instructions to staff.
Karingal declined to comment about the matter.
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