Call back for new
personal injury claims only
Leave your details to request a call back.
You are in: Home Page |
News Desk | News Story
30th April 2010
Shop worker compensated after fall in listed building
Fell down stairs at work
A shop worker who suffered a serious back injury after her employers ignored complaints about a dangerous staircase has received £5,000 in compensation.
Angela Hurcomb, 55, from Hereford was forced to take two months off work as a result of her injuries after she fell down a spiral staircase while working for Past Times in the town.
She needed physiotherapy after damaging her back and hip.
The PCS member had worked for her employers for more than seven years before the accident in January 2008.
The shop had recently changed locations to a listed building. She was coming down the stairs after visiting a storage room when she slipped.
Treads on the staircase were inadequate
She fell despite holding onto the handrail but a later inspection by an environmental trading standards officer found the treads on the staircase were inadequate.
While structural alterations couldn’t be made to the staircase as it was a listed building, improvements could have been made. In fact, despite complaints to the employers before the accident by Mrs Hurcomb and her colleagues, nothing had been done.
As Mrs Hurcomb’s husband is a member of the Public and Commercial Services union, she was covered by its personal injury scheme. Following the accident she contacted the union which instructed its lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors, to pursue a claim for compensation.
Thompsons secured an out of court settlement after Past Times admitted liability. The shop has now put rubber edging on the stairs to prevent a similar accident from happening.
Still suffers pain from accident
Mrs Hurcomb is now working for a different employer and has been forced to give up horse riding. She said: “My life has changed dramatically since the accident. I used to ride my neighbour’s horse every day but my injuries mean I can no longer ride and I cannot drive for longer than half an hour.
“I am still in pain but I try hard not to give into it and I am determined to keep working as long as I can.”
Phil Madelin, PCS’s national legal services officer, said: “With PCS, it’s not just our members who are covered for personal injury claims, but their families as well. While Mrs Hurcomb’s life will never be the same again, we were pleased to be able to help secure some financial recompense.”
Martin Fell from Thompsons Solicitors added: “Adapting listed buildings to bring them up to modern health and safety standards is a challenge but in this case simple and not very costly measures would have avoided Mrs Hurcomb suffering for the rest of her life. A listed building is no excuse for ducking out of basic safety obligations.”
Compensation Claim Advice
If you or anyone you know has suffered an injury at work after slipping or tripping, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.
There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.
Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
Contact us about your accident or injury
Call us for free on 08000 224 224 Call us from your mobile on 0330 123 123 0 (charged at local number and free when covered by inclusive minutes) Request a call back Text CLAIM to 82010 (standard network rates apply)
