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News Desk | News Story
7th September 2009
PCS union member Andrea Swales, 39, from Hartlepool was almost five months pregnant with her little girl, Tegan, when the accident happened at HM Revenue and Customs offices in Peterlee in July 2006.
Andrea tripped on a loose carpet tile in the office. Fortunately she fell onto a seat so that her baby was protected, but she twisted her back.
At first the tax credit advisor put the back pain down to her pregnancy. It wasn’t until she gave birth to Tegan that she realised how badly injured she was.
At her six week post pregnancy check-up she told her doctor about her bad back and was told she needed physiotherapy. She has since received steroid injections to help with pain relief. It was later found that the fall had brought forward back problems for Andrea by nine years.
Andrea struggled to cope with her injury and had to rely on her 13-year-old son, Cameron, to help with the new baby.
Her back was so painful she found it difficult to bathe Tegan or to do simple tasks like lift the car seat.
She said: “All the pleasure was taken out of the first few months after Tegan’s birth. Everything was a real struggle. Some days I was in so much pain I couldn’t leave the house. I don’t know what I would have done if my son hadn’t been old enough to help me out.
“When I fell my first instinct was to protect my bump. I hate to imagine what might have happened if I hadn’t managed to break my fall.”
Andrea has now returned to work, but still suffers from some pain.
She decided to pursue compensation after reading about a similar case in her union newsletter. The PCS instructed its lawyers Thompsons Solicitors. HM Customs and Revenue admitted liability and settled the claim out of court.
Emma Wiles, Director of Legal Services at the PCS said: “Slips and trips are a common cause of injury in all workplaces. Employers are expected to have a simple inspection programme to make sure thoroughfares are safe.”
Janice Hook from Thompsons Solicitors added: “We are pleased we have been able to settle this claim on behalf of Ms Swales. This fall happened at a time when Ms Swales was particularly vulnerable. She and her unborn child were fortunate that she managed to break her fall. We hope her employer has learnt from this incident and has put procedures in place to avoid this kind of accident happening again.”
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 personal 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.