3rd March 2006

Compensation for Accident at Work

Clear Answers' Lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors have recently won compensation for a client who suffered a slip whilst at work.

The claimant was a staff nurse at a Hospital near Liverpool and was working in a ward in the secure area of the hospital when he received an urgent instruction to attend to a disturbance on another ward nearby. As he was running into the ward he slipped on duck excrement on the block paved pathway which led up to the entrance door of the ward.

The claimant said that at the time of his accident there were numerous patches of duck droppings scattered on the surface of the block paved pathway and he estimated that about one quarter of the total surface area of the pathway was contaminated and that it was slimy and very slippery. This had been a problem for several years prior to his accident due to the fact that several hundred mallard ducks had colonised the site and their presence on the site had been maintained as a result of the patients feeding them. There was; however, no routine system of cleaning the excrement from the paths.

Employers Liability

The defendants' lawyers denied liability for the accident. They admitted that they had been aware of the problems caused by the ducks and their droppings since at least 1996 but said this was purely a hygiene issue near the hospital kitchens and not a possible slipping issue.

However, the ducks were subsequently captured and relocated to a site in Yorkshire in July 2001.

At the hearing, the Judge found in favour of the injured nurse.

He was critical of the defendants and found that they had not taken any reasonable steps to deal with the ducks' droppings, which they could foresee were a slipping hazard, bearing in mind that they had been aware of the problems since at least 1996.

Making a Personal Injury Claim

If you have suffered an injury from an accident at work, which was not your fault, you may be able to make a personal injury claim for compensation.

Clear Answers' Solicitors are experts in dealing with all personal injury cases and will be able to provide you with cost-free accurate advice.

Contact us now on 0800 783 9019 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms.

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