An East Staffordshire woman who was hit in the face by a golf ball has received a substantial accident compensation payout.
The incident occurred in September last year at Branston Golf and Country Club, when the woman was walking back to her car from the ninth hole of the golf course.
A golf ball hit by a player at the nearby driving range smashed into her face, cutting her lips and knocking out teeth. She was also flung to the floor as a result of the impact of the hit.
Following the incident, an investigation revealed that the stray ball had passed through gaps in the country club's fence which was in place to prevent balls from striking members of the public.
East Staffordshire Borough Council had spotted the holes in the fence on a previous health and safety inspection at the country club and asked the club to remedy them, and increase the fence which was not high enough to stop balls flying over the range. The club, however, did not take action to remedy this issue.
As a result of the accident, Branston Golf and Country Club was fined £5,000 for failing to protect the health and safety of members of the public. The club's lawyers argued that vandals had created the holes in the fence, but did admit that the repair work had not been enough to prevent accidents happening.
The accident victim received an accident compensation payout of £7,500 as a result of the injuries she suffered.