After she was caught in a gas explosion that left her pinned under rubble, one barmaid has decided to bring a personal injury compensation claim against her employers.
According to accident claim experts writing for the Mearn Leader newspaper, the Drumtochty Arms Hotel was rocked by a massive gas explosion in January of 2009. The blast, which occurred just as the hotel was nearing the completion of a £750,000 renovation conducted by refurbishment experts Instant Catering Maintenance, resulted in injuries to three people.
Danielle Ormond, the barmaid caught in the blast, was twenty six years old at the time of the incident, according to her personal injury claims. Ms Ormond was left pinned underneath the rubble, sustaining several injures, including a collapsed lung, a broken thumb, breastbone, and vertebra, and three broken ribs.
Ms Ormond, who was lucky enough to be rescued from the rubble, maintains that the injuries she sustained to her back will have a permanent and long-lasting affect on her ability to take care of day-to-day activities for the rest of her life. In addition, the former barmaid has been in constant pain since the incident, with only prescription painkillers allowing her to function or sleep.
Ms Ormond, who was one of three who suffered injuries in the gas explosion, has brought a personal injury compensation claim against both Instant Catering Maintenance and the hotel management as well.
A large proportion of the hotel needed to be demolished in the wake of the blast, and planning permission had been granted in December of 2009 to rebuild it. However reconstruction efforts have not yet begun due to the currently ongoing investigation into the blast and subsequent legal proceedings are concluded.