A serious incident at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog, has led to a lawsuit following an accident that left a grandmother with severe injuries. Elizabeth Palmby, aged 68, sustained broken ribs and underwent surgery after injuring her hand on exposed metal covers in the car park. The incident occurred in November 2022, when Palmby and her husband traveled over three hours from their home in Scunthorpe to visit the popular establishment.
Palmby described the car park conditions as hazardous. Rainfall had transformed the area into a muddy environment, with metal sheets placed over puddles. While carrying eggs back to the pub, she fell, instinctively reaching out to break her fall, which resulted in her sustaining a deep laceration to her hand. She reported, “So, I didn’t know how bad it was. But when they cleaned it up, I saw a gaping, open, jagged, ugly wound. It was horrible and very painful.”
After the fall, her husband rushed her to Witney Community Hospital for treatment. Surgeons later discovered metal fragments embedded in her hand, necessitating further surgery to remove them. In addition, X-rays revealed that Palmby had fractured her ribs from the impact of the fall. She expressed her distress with the lasting effects of her injuries, stating, “I am probably scarred for life.”
Following the incident, Palmby returned to The Farmer’s Dog to document the accident in the pub’s accident book. Despite receiving a complimentary meal and replacement eggs from the staff, she was unsettled by the condition of the car park on her return visit. “I was shocked to see nothing had changed,” she said.
In March 2023, West Oxfordshire District Council approved planning permission for a permanent hard surface to be laid in the car park. However, work cannot commence until a detailed surface water drainage scheme is submitted and approved. Palmby noted that the environment remains dangerous and is concerned about the risk of future accidents.
Feeling compelled to seek justice, Palmby reached out to Express Solicitors to pursue a compensation claim. While she acknowledged Jeremy Clarkson’s reputation for perfectionism, she emphasized the need for immediate improvements in the car park’s safety. “The pub itself was perfect, and the staff were great, but the car park was a total disaster,” she stated.
Express.co.uk has sought comment from The Farmer’s Dog regarding the ongoing situation and the lawsuit filed by Palmby. As the legal process unfolds, the focus will remain on ensuring that similar incidents do not occur in the future, promoting a safer environment for patrons of Clarkson’s establishment.
