In Zagreb these days, a non-final ruling was issued according to which a company, the former employer of a cleaner, must pay compensation of 110,000 euros plus interest.

This ruling followed after the woman, while doing seasonal work at a gas station, tripped over a crate of beer that was in the passageway and suffered a severe hip fracture as a result. The employer has the right to appeal, so the decision is not yet final, writes Danica.hr.

The accident happened early in the morning, while the victim was cleaning the floors and moving backward, not noticing the crate of beer that should not have been there. Although she was sent for an examination immediately after the fall, the doctors sent her home, and the severity of the injury was recognized only after the pain intensified over the following weeks. At the hospital, a hip fracture was then diagnosed, which is one of the most serious injuries that can affect middle-aged and older people, especially when there are additional risk conditions such as diabetes or obesity.

The recovery was marked by numerous complications. In addition to the first operation, which should have been performed in the early hours after the fracture, the woman also underwent an additional implantation of an artificial hip. Unfortunately, a postoperative infection developed, leading to sepsis and the need for a series of procedures, including the removal of the endoprosthesis. She is currently waiting for a new hip implantation surgery, while depending daily on the help of another person.

A court expert determined that the injuries caused long-term incapacity for work, and complications after hip surgery, which include the risk of infections, thrombosis, and even mortality in older people, are well known in medicine. Around 75% of people with a broken hip end up on the operating table, and recovery often lasts for months, with the possibility that the patient may never regain full mobility or independence.

According to the expert's findings, the judge awarded 30,000 euros in compensation for the pain suffered and disability, 55,000 euros for the necessary assistance and care of another person, and approximately 25,000 euros for court costs. The allowance for another person's assistance and care, given the legal regulations, amounts to 79.63 euros per month in the full amount and is intended for persons who, due to a serious health condition, are permanently incapable of independent living.

It is worth noting that people who survive a severe hip fracture, in addition to the health consequences, very often also experience a significantly reduced quality of life and are referred to permanent family care or transfer to social care institutions, and in Croatia every year hip fractures affect several thousand people, mostly the elderly and chronically ill patients.

This ruling also shows the importance of workplace safety and employers' responsibility for the proper storage of goods and securing the premises, as prescribed by occupational safety laws.