Muir stresses concern for workers as injured work-rider seeks damages
William Muir has sought to emphasize that employees at his Lambourn steady are his first concern, because it emerged a former worker is suing over a 2018 fall that brought about a critical head damage.
A procedural listening to passed off within the Excessive Court docket on Tuesday, at which legal professionals for Maisie Beth Wooden, now 25, stated she had sustained a fractured cranium and mind harm which have brought about seizures because of the incident.
“I really feel very sorry for her,” Muir advised the Racing Put up on Wednesday. “However in our line of labor, there’s a risk that anybody can get damage and we all know that once we go to work with animals.
“The employees come first. The employees can be the very first thing on my thoughts as a result of we’ve all labored with horses all our lives and we’ve seen accidents. Everyone that works for me, I take care of as greatest I probably can.”
Muir was away from the yard on the morning of the incident, when Wooden was driving a filly known as Malaguena, who sustained an damage at a later date and by no means made it to the observe. In response to experiences, the argument to be superior on Wooden’s behalf is that Malaguena was “extremely strung”, “tough to deal with” and was usually sedated earlier than work however not on the day in query.
Some or all of these particulars are anticipated to be disputed by the defence, which is being dealt with by Muir’s insurers, who deny there was any negligence.
“I’m not saying the filly was simple or a lifeless quiet, bus of a experience,” Muir stated, “however she wasn’t a horrible experience both. It’s simply a kind of issues.”
‘I’ve carried out nothing however attempt to assist’
Wooden is claimed to have been unseated, touchdown on her head. Then, as a colleague tried to assist her again into the saddle, Malaguena is claimed to have bolted, inflicting Wooden to fall once more and a hoof to strike her head.
Within the occasion that Wooden’s declare succeeds, the quantity of compensation she receives will depend upon medical proof. Her legal professionals say the case has a minimal worth of £200,000.
“I’ve carried out nothing however attempt to assist her right through,” stated Muir, including that he continued to pay Wooden’s wages lengthy after the incident. He describes recurrently giving Wooden lifts from Lambourn village to his stables in order that she might be round her work colleagues within the following months, as he feared she might change into remoted in any other case.
Wooden’s legal professionals, RWK Goodman, responded: “Maisie is absolutely very grateful to Mr Muir for his concern and assist after the accident. It’s not truthful to anybody to debate the small print of the case within the press however Mr Muir is correct that this stuff do generally occur and that is why all employers have insurance coverage.”
An evidential listening to is because of happen within the case, on a date to be decided.
Courtesy of Racing Put up