Morning:
13°c
An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
London faces a wave of bus and Tube strikes that could cause chaos for millions of passengers as unions walkout over pay and conditions
More...
Homeowner sued after woman delivering junk mail claims she injured her hand in letterbox
Last updated at 23:07pm on 22.02.08Junk mail rarely brings you something you want, but for one homeowner it has led to a lawsuit landing on his doormat.
Paul O'Brien is being sued by a woman who says she trapped her hand in his letterbox while posting mail.
Joy Goodman, a cake decorator in her late 40s, is seeking damages for personal injury and loss of earnings.
She claims the top of her right index finger was severed by his letterbox and she can no longer do her intricate job.
Scroll down for more...
Paul O'Brien is furious that Joy Goodman is suing him after she severed her fingertip delivering junk mail at Mr O'Brien's house
Mr O'Brien, 44, from Morley, Leeds, vowed to fight the claim, branding it "a joke".
The self-employed engineer said: "When I received a solicitor's letter I thought someone was having a laugh.
"I actually told them they had sent it early - April Fool's Day is still six weeks away.
"I just cannot believe someone who came on to my property uninvited, to put junk mail through my door that I didn't want, can now sue me because she hurt herself.
"I do not even know what the woman posted to me. I never read my junk mail.
"When I get junk mail I usually just scoop it all up and throw it in the bin."
The divorced father of two was out when Mrs Goodman claims she was hurt at the door of his four-bedroom detached new-build house.
She returned two days later and, finding him out, spoke to a neighbour and left contact details for him to get in touch with her.
The next he heard from her was when he received a letter from her solicitors saying she was claiming damages.
It read: "We understand that the circumstances of the accident are that our client was delivering a leaflet to your house when your letterbox snapped back on to her right index finger.
"As a result of this, our client suffered from personal injury and loss."
The letter did not state how much compensation she was pursuing, and asked only for his acknowledgement.
Scroll down for more...
Mrs Goodman claims she is no longer able to continue her job as a cake decorator after the accident
Mr O'Brien said: "It said they could claim against my house insurance. But if they pay out, my premiums will go up.
"Either way it will be me who ends up footing the bill. I am going to tell them to challenge it.
"I didn't invite this person on to my property and there is nothing wrong with the letterbox - I haven't altered it or done anything to it.
"It's just like every other letterbox on this estate. It's the one that came with the house. I asked the Royal Mail if they had had any problems with it.
"They said they hadn't and that in any case their staff are trained to make sure they don't get hurt while delivering.
"It seems like we're becoming more and more like America. Everyone wants compensation."
Mr O'Brien now has a poster in his window that reads: "No salespersons, No junk mail."
Mrs Goodman declined to comment, saying only: "It is in the hands of my solicitors."
A neighbour of Mr O'Brien said: "This is absolutely crazy. I might put a sign up too. That could have happened to any one of us."
Reader views (25)
If she is a cake decorator and her hands are so important to her then why did she not insure them?
Could Mr O'Brien not sue her for trespassing on his property?
You have to be pretty stupid to leave your hands in a letterbox after posting something in it. Ever heard of a postie or paperboy/girl that this has happened to? No.
- Mark, Milton Keynes
Personally, I think people that distribute junk mail should have their fingers cut off anyway.
- Mark, London
He said it.. this is one big JOKE.
- Joe, London
Presumably if the top of this woman's finger was severed, Mr O'Brien would have had the remains on his door mat and he would have noticed the blood when he came home? I do so hope that this ridiculous case is thrown out of course and the stupid woman is severely reprimanded - in public!
- Jessie, London
What a completely ridiculous woman!
- Trish, London
Pop round her house and slam your finger in her letterbox when delivering a reply. Then hand deliver a copy to her solicitor and slam another finger in their letterbox and, hey presto, you're 2-1 up!
- Paul, London
How to post a letter or leaflet
a) Use hand 1 to lift the letter flap as far as it will go. Keep flap lifted.
b) Use hand 2 to post letter/leaflet through the door.
c) Ensure hand 2 is clear of letter flap
d) Now use hand 1 to now lower letter flap
Not rocket science!
- Nathan, brentford
If her fingers are so important to her business, why was she sticking them through letterboxes in the first place ?
- Liz, London, UK
Maybe now these people will stop putting never ending junk mail through our letter boxes, everyone knows you don't put your hand in a letterbox!
- Sarah, London
Its people like her that make it difficult for the rest of us. What proof is there that she even hurt her hand while delivering the junk mail?
- Jk, London
I would get a statement from Royal Mail who can presumably confirm that none of their postmen / women have ever had ever suffered a severed finger from posting though this letter box.
- We, Kent
It's no more insane than the burglar who sued for breaking his back whilst breaking into a factory and won.
- Hugh Manrongs, Chatham
Maybe now these people will stop harassing the public by putting never ending junk mail through letter boxes.
- Sarah, London
Incredibly there is legislation where someone trespassing on your property, even trying to burgle you, can sue you for injury incurred whilst trying to burgle you if the injury was caused by a negligent defect!
- Dc, UK
Go to the most expensive solicitor you can find, seek a negative declaration of liability from the court and the costs of such declaration. When she gets the bill for your legal costs, which will likely run into thousands of pounds, you will ensure that she never does this again. Hit her in her pocket - and hard!
- Cameron, London,
I truly hope she doesn't win otherwise others will be following in her footsteps.
- Moo, South London, UK
Surely the burden of proof is on this woman to prove that she actually incurred the injury at this gentleman's letter box. I assume she has a witness who is prepared to make a statement to that effect. Perhaps you could claim that you slipped on whatever she posted through your letterbox and have suffered pain and distress as a result! Good luck to you Mr. O'Brien.
- Jlo, London
I would sue her for delivery of unsolicited and unwanted mail, causing damage to the environment and trespass!
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
If she was a good cake decorator why was she delivering leaflets?
- Barbara, London
This is the litigious culture gone mad, Joy Goodman should be ashamed of herself.
- Casper Slides, Ibiza, Spain
Welcome to compensation culture Britain. He should bill her for the disposal cost of the mail.
Hopefully the judge will see sense (oxymoron?) and throw this out.
- Marc, Harrow, Uk
"They said they hadn't and that in any case their staff are trained to make sure they don't get hurt while delivering."
Interesting. Sounds like she should be claiming against her employers, that could lead to less junk mail.
- Les, Essex, UK
Hopefully this case will be thrown out of court and the plaintiff given a kick up the backside. This is NOT America!
- Marianne, SW France
He should sue the stupid woman for trespass and for causing litter on his property, and then, her solicitors, for wasting his time, and for the distress that it has caused him.
- Lct, London
Sue her for littering!
- Moz, London
