Personal injury news

Blaze student sues landlord for personal injury damages

Despite receiving £20,000 compensation from the landlord of the flat where she was living when it caught fire, a Norwich student is seeking a further £2m damages because of the ongoing effect of the near-fatal burns she suffered.

The woman, who was a 19-year-old studying catering at the time of the accident, was asleep in the flat she shared with three other people above a mobile phone shop when the blaze started during the night.

After being rescued by firefighters, she was given a less than 1% chance of survival and was unconscious for nine days at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

In May, the owner of the property was jailed for 30 months after he admitted failing to comply with 14 aspects of health and fire safety laws. Later, this was reduced to 21 months after he agreed to pay £20,000 personal injury compensation to the student.

The woman is now returning to the High Court to begin a civil damages claim because she says her life has been destroyed by the landlord's negligence in providing suitable fire precautions, smoke alarms, fire-fighting equipment and emergency lighting.

At a preliminary hearing, Judge Richard Lissack QC agreed that an expert witness in human behaviour in the face of fire could be called by lawyers on behalf of the defence in the personal injury compensation case before a full trial proceeded.