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HMRC pays damages to disabled employee trapped by lift
Trapped between lift doors
A disabled PCS member who was injured by a faulty lift has received £3,700 in compensation after help from her trade union.
The 57-year-old, who as a result of a side effect from her diabetes, suffers from muscle weakness and must walk with a stick was trapped between lift doors while trying to get to her office on the 16th floor of the HMRC building in Cardiff.
The lift had already been reported faulty after closing suddenly on two other employees earlier that day but nothing was done to put it out of action.
The lift is one of four available for use by the thousands of HMRC employees using the building.
Doors slammed shut on her
As the administrator was entering the lift, the doors suddenly slammed shut on her and she had to force them open with her hands to get out.
She was left with soft tissue damage to both shoulders and needed intensive physiotherapy. She still suffers from pain in one shoulder.
She said: "It was terrifying. For a moment I didn't think I was going to be able to get myself out. I was in a terrible shock but I knew I had badly injured my left shoulder.
"For more than a year I refused to use that lift and would have walked the stairs if I could but I use a stick and work on the 16th floor so had no choice but to get into the other lifts."
Thompsons Solicitors made claim for compensation
Following the accident she contacted the PCS which instructed Thompsons Solicitors to pursue compensation. It was found that there had been numerous problems with the lift over a long period of time but nothing had been done to fix it.
Thompsons was successful in settling the claim after the HMRC admitted liability.
Peter Lockhart, PCS national officer for HMRC, said: "Many of our members have complained to us about this lift and HMRC should have acted a lot quicker to fix it and prevent this accident. We are pleased the department has accepted responsibility and we hope it will now ensure this doesn't happen again."
Caragh Hogan from Thompsons Solicitors in Cardiff said: "Having a lift door close on you is scary for anyone, for this member with her disability it was a real panic and has long term consequences because her condition means it has taken her longer than normal to heal.
"Surely one incident like this should lead a good employer to sort things out but our investigations showed that this lift has caused similar problems for many employees."
Compensation Claim Advice
If you or someone you know has suffered an injury whilst in a lift or using an escalator, 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.
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