A man whose life previously revolved around extreme sports such as skydiving and snowboarding is taking legal action against a vineyard for more than £200,000 following a tractor accident that has left him with severe, life-altering injuries. Guy Hollingworth, aged 53, sustained significant trauma while working at Rathfinny Wine Estate near Alfriston, East Sussex, in September 2022.
The Incident
Mr Hollingworth was assisting with netting vines when he fell from a pallet positioned on the back forks of a tractor. The pallet gave way, causing him to be thrown to the ground, where he struck his head and back on a metal part of the vineyard equipment. Once described as physically adventurous and a volunteer rescuing entangled marine life, he now faces severe limitations.
Injuries and Impact
He is unable to walk more than 50 metres and struggles to use his left hand for everyday tasks such as holding a knife and fork. In addition to physical ailments, Mr Hollingworth is contending with PTSD and a chronic pain disorder. He is pursuing legal action against his former employer, Rathfinny Wine Estate Ltd, at the High Court.
Legal Dispute
The company is vigorously defending the claim, asserting that Mr Hollingworth was culpable for his own accident, alleging he set the tractor forks too low and failed to hold on properly. Rathfinny, a family-run vineyard established in 2010 by former hedge fund manager Mark Driver and his wife Sarah, is dedicated to producing English sparkling wines from its site near Alfriston in the South Downs. Its 2018 Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge 2023, and its products are served globally.
According to court documents, Mr Hollingworth, of Seaford, East Sussex, was working with a colleague netting vines when he was hurt. After reaching the bottom of a hill, his colleague began accelerating the tractor back towards his waiting car, with Mr Hollingworth standing on the unsecured pallet on the forks, he claims. His barrister, Laura Begley, states he then found himself on the ground in pain, with his colleague apologising.
Mr Hollingworth has only a patchy memory of the next two weeks and now suffers from a neurological disorder. He has left-sided weakness, sensory changes to his shoulder, back, and limb, leaving his left hand not useful for holding a knife and fork. He cannot walk further than 50 metres without frequent stops, needs a cane, and was housebound until obtaining a motor scooter. He also cannot lift his right arm above his shoulder, suffers frequent falls, headaches, tinnitus, blurry vision, PTSD, and depression.
Previous Lifestyle
Prior to the accident, Mr Hollingworth was very much an outdoors person. He grew up in the valley where he worked and enjoyed walking on the South Downs. He was a scuba diver, volunteered with a local organisation rescuing entangled marine life, snowboarded, and had done a tandem skydive, buying equipment to learn to do it on his own. He was physically adventurous.
Defence Arguments
Mr Hollingworth is suing the vineyard, alleging negligence in not ensuring the pallet was secured and accusing driver Ian Bray of driving too fast. Although the company has admitted primary liability, it fights the claim on the basis that Mr Hollingworth was himself negligent. He had not been instructed to carry out the task in the manner he did and had chosen to stand on the pallet. The company's barrister, Lee Evans, states that at no stage did Mr Hollingworth express concerns about the task or standing on the pallet. It is denied that Mr Bray drove at an unsafe speed; at all times he was driving safely and reducing speed as he approached the end of the vine row. The likely cause of the fall was that the pallet was set at a low level and made contact with the ground. There were external controls that Mr Hollingworth used to raise the forks, but he failed to set them to a suitable height and also failed to hold on properly.
The case has not yet been heard before a judge but will be listed for a full trial at a later date unless the parties settle out of court.
