Custard injury

A surgeon whose career suffered because of a knee injury when he slipped on some custard at work has won £38,928 damages.

John Conti injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in October 2000 while a senior house officer at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, West London. He required reconstructive surgery, which was successful, and has made a good recovery.

Mr Conti, 36, a registrar surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital in Newport, Isle of Wight, argued that the injury had delayed his progress to a consultant’s post by about four years.

But Judge Hegarty, QC, at the High Court assessed the delay at only one year. He rejected the defence case that the substantial cause of the surgery was not the custard, but an incident in February 2000 when Mr Conti hurt the knee playing beach volleyball. Afterwards, Mr Conti, of Chandlers Ford, Hampshire said: “I think justice has been done.”