A family has turned down £10,000 compensation for these horrific injuries suffered by a great-grandmother who fell face-first onto a power saw left in her flat by workmen.
Mary Riley, 70, needed 50 stitches to her head, lost the sight in her right eye, perforated her ear drum and needed 11 stitches in her right knee.
She tripped and fell onto the circular saw – which her family say had been left blade-side up in the hallway of her Newcastle flat – as she dashed to the bathroom.
Mrs Riley was suffering from terminal lung cancer at the time and never fully recovered from her injuries before she died nine months later, her family claim.
Mary Riley, 70, (pictured) needed 50 stitches to her head, lost the sight in her right eye, perforated her ear drum and needed 11 stitches in her right knee
Her distraught daughter Charlotte Farndale, 47, has rejected a £9,970 offer from Keepmoat Regeneration whose workmen were fitting a door at her mum’s flat, and allegedly left the circular saw lying on the floor.
Mum-of-three Charlotte, from Newcastle, said: ‘The workmen brought what they needed in my mum’s flat and left the power saw plugged in just outside the bathroom, blade side up.
‘It was on the floor in the narrow corridor and mum was bursting for the toilet.
‘I had earlier been in the corridor and thought ‘I better turn that saw over’ but didn’t bother and continued to the living room where mum was.
Mrs Riley (pictured before the accident) was suffering from terminal lung cancer at the time and never fully recovered from her injuries before she died nine months later, her family claim
Mrs Riley needed 11 stitches in her knee (pictured) after she fell on the saw
‘It’s one of my biggest regrets because moments later mum fell on it face first and it also cut her knee.
‘I had to drag her through the hallway and the workmen returned to a sea of blood. They didn’t help but just stood there looking shocked.
‘I couldn’t even look at mum’s face because it was in half. I was frightened to look at my own mum.
‘We are disgusted by the lack of apology after what happened.
‘The accident definitely contributed to mum’s death because she was never the same. I lost my mother that day.’
Mrs Riley lived in a flat owned by Your Homes Newcastle – a company which manages council homes for Newcastle City Council.
Workmen from Keepmoat Regeneration were contracted to re-fit the front door of Mrs Riley’s council home in Iris Steedman House, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Her daughter claims that, when they went for a break on February 20, 2015, they left the saw blade-up in her hallway, but she tripped over and fell face first.
Her distraught daughter Charlotte Farndale, 47, has rejected a £9,970 offer from Keepmoat Regeneration (pictured) whose workmen were fitting a door at her mum’s flat, and allegedly left the circular saw lying on the floor
The tool had been left blade-side up in her hallway, according to her family – as she dashed to the bathroom. Pictured: Power tools allegedly left lying about by workmen
The blade was not spinning at the time but Mrs Riley suffered such horrific injuries that Charlotte, her carer, found her in a ‘pool of blood’ in the bathroom.
She dragged her by her ankles into the hallway and was horrified to discover her face was ‘in half’.
Paramedics took her to the Royal Victoria Infirmary where she spent eight days.
Before she died on November 8, 2015, she begged Charlotte to ‘not let the contractors get away with it’, her daughter claims.
‘She suffered a really serious cut on her knee as well as her face which never healed and mum was in agony,’ said Charlotte, who instructed solicitors.
‘It repeatedly became infected to the point where she had no quality of life.
‘Before the fall, she was doing fine and had just started chemotherapy. She was going about her days normally and would pop into town despite the cancer diagnosis.
‘But she never walked again afterwards and thought everybody was staring at her.
‘Workers continued to renovate neighbouring properties and mum would wake in the middle of the night screaming because it was torture to her.’
Keepmoat offered Mrs Riley £9,970, a letter from her solicitors reveals.
But Ms Farndale, who believes the accident contributed to her mum’s death, said she plans to reject it – and only wants an apology.
A spokesperson for Keepmoat Regeneration, said: ‘We offer our sincerest condolences to the family of Mary Riley.
‘As this is a legal matter, we are unfortunately unable to provide any further comment at this time.’
David Langhorne, assets and development director at Your Homes Newcastle, said: ‘We were sorry to hear the news about Mary Riley’s death in 2015 and extended our sympathies to her family.
‘We understand that a personal injury claim has now been brought and as this falls within a legal framework we are legally unable to comment any further.’
Ms Farndale (holding a picture of her mother, Mary Riley), said she plans to reject the compensation – and only wants an apology