Richard Chodkiewicz suffered a massive brain damage due to a head injury, which was caused after a pole fell about 14 stories down a lift shaft in Bristol. The 54-year-old engineer now needs a round the clock care due to the injury that occurred to him in 2008. At the time of the incident, he was standing at the bottom of the shaft, unaware of what tragedy was going to happen to him.

After the incident, he was rushed to Bristol's Frenchay Hospital, where he underwent surgery and had to spend more than six week in intensive care as well as high dependency unit. His ordeal did not end there, as he had to undergo more than 12 months of tough rehabilitation.

Now the engineer has won a multimillion-pound compensation settlement from Miller Construction, which was running the project at that Bristol and West Building and Hoistwat Ltd. which directly employed Mr. Chodkiewicz. Miller construction was fined £40,000, while Hoistway Ltd. was fined £70,000.

The court that made the judgment also found gross imperfections in the working of the company and breaches of health and safety regulations. Moreover, subsequent investigations also disclosed errors in the workings at the site on the basis of protection for workers.