9th March 2006

Staircases and hand rails at work

Clear Answers' specialist personal injury lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors have recently won compensation for a lady who suffered an injury at work due to their being no handrail present on the stairs.

Our client was walking down a spiral stair case on the inside and she was walking with a colleague at her side. As she approached the narrowing section of the stairs she lost her footing and went to grab a hand rail but there was not one available. She fell down the remaining stairs.

The hand rail continued all the way down the outside of the stair case where the stairs were the normal width and there had been one previous accident on the stairs a few days before. After the claimant's accident they made the stairs one-way and told people to walk in single file.

Personal Injury Compensation

The claim was successful because we could show the Workplace Regulations 1992 stated that a suitable and sufficient handrail should have been provided on the stairs, as the stairs were used by heavy traffic and were wide enough for two people to descend.

The Judge only deducted 25 per cent of compensation against the Claimant on the basis she was part to blame for her own accident as she had used the stairs several times before and was possibly not paying full attention.

Making a Compensation Claim

If you have been injured at work and the accident was not your fault, you may be able to make a personal injury claim for compensation.

Clear Answers' solicitors are experts in dealing with claims for accidents at work and will be able to advise you on whether you have a valid claim.

Contact us now for cost-free advice on 0800 783 9019 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms.

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