£75,000 payout for victim of cafe fall (From Swindon Advertiser)
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£75,000 payout for victim of cafe fall
11:20am Friday 27th January 2012 in Local By Scott McPherson
Lanterns cafe
A WOMAN has won £75,000 in compensation after she fell and broke several bones in a town centre cafe.
The 70-year-old, who did not want to be named, went into the Lanterns cafe on Havelock Street, on October 28, 2008 and tripped on a mat, sending her flying about 9ft into the cafe.
The pensioner's fall resulted in her breaking a bone in her shoulder, dislocating her other shoulder and also did serious damage to her left knee.
The accident left her in hospital for two and a half weeks and for the past two years, she has had to live in the ground floor of her home because her injuries have resulted in her not being able to climb the stairs. She also struggles to sit down.
She said: “I walked through the door and they had just had a new mat put down. The mat that was in there,didn’t have the right density and I went over as soon as I put my foot on it.
“I stumbled for several feet and all the tables went over.
“Apart from that I don’t remember a lot.
“As a result I suffered a broken bone in my shoulder, I dislocated the shoulder and tore tendons in my shoulder.
“It has completely changed my life and I think I am only 50 per cent now.”
Thanks to Swindon-based personal injury lawyers Armstrong James, the victim was able to make a substantial claim after the cafe took full responsibility for what happened. She said: “I wasn’t going to claim because I knew the owner.
“They came to see me when I was in hospital the first time.
“I am really glad I did claim though it has made a huge difference because I wasn’t earning, at one point I couldn’t even afford oil to heat the house. The whole process was very easy and the payments were spread out.”
Simon Shaw, partner at Armstrong James, said: “It was an oversight really on the owners’ part. They had put a mat in place but it happened to be it was not the right type.
“We are happy to have been able to secure this substantial claim for our client. It was a no win, no claim case so if we did not win the case then she would not have had to pay anything.”
The Adver tried to speak to the owner of Lanterns, but was told he was unavailable for comment.
Comments(25)
Disco20
says...
11:57am Fri 27 Jan 12
Also, I find the whole "where there is a blame there is a claim" culture is only set out to make the likes of Armstrong James wealthy whilst its killing small businesses that are hit.
A - Look where you are going
B - Use your common sense
C - Sh1t happens, deal with it
If there is genuine negligence, then fair enough but the "wrong type of matt", seriously, get a grip. Maybe the lady wasn’t looking where she was walking and tripped. If I had sued someone every time that happened, I’d be a millionaire!
The best thing our country can do is ban the “Blame = Claim” business and allow people to be responsible for their own well being and actions. Its too easy for someone to sue a company or business for their own failings.
**Rant over**
beach1e
says...
12:08pm Fri 27 Jan 12
Hearditallbefore
says...
12:09pm Fri 27 Jan 12
Robfm
says...
12:32pm Fri 27 Jan 12
The other comments are right of course, an accident by it's very definition means that it was unforeseeable.
Sadly insurance companies would rather roll over than fight, which is why if you are asked for your insurance company details by a solicitor(which you are not obliged to provide) and you say no, they usually go away. Strange that.
In this case the cafe admitted liability, so easy money, and a cheap advert into the bargain for the solicitors.
LordAshOfTheBrake
says...
2:25pm Fri 27 Jan 12
How does someone trip and go flying 9ft anyway! Were they running? When my grandmother tripped and fell at home she simply fell in a heap.
Wonder how many people are going to be looking to have an accident around Swindon now the Adver have done the lawyers advertising for them.
blahblahblahblah
says...
2:58pm Fri 27 Jan 12
The-Swindon-Man
says...
4:28pm Fri 27 Jan 12
Did she claim? No.
Does she want to claim? No.
StillPav
says...
4:38pm Fri 27 Jan 12
.
All because of the "wrong type of mat".
.
It beggars belief.
Mystery Mike
says...
4:54pm Fri 27 Jan 12
75 grand? It's not like she was losing any earnings at her age was it? This whole thing just reads like one of those tacky TV ads. I wonder how much this journo got bribed for?
StillPav
says...
5:08pm Fri 27 Jan 12
.
All because of the "wrong type of mat".
PJC
says...
5:49pm Fri 27 Jan 12
Punctured bicycle on a hillside
says...
7:11pm Fri 27 Jan 12
Get real people, you'd be a mug not to.
Welcome to the American culture of blame equals claim, that's what we have to live with from now on.
supersaver
says...
7:49pm Fri 27 Jan 12
scottwichall
says...
9:04pm Fri 27 Jan 12
supersaver wrote:Probably 30% at the very least I suspect.
How much did Armstrong-James receive?
Gelatine magic
says...
9:39pm Fri 27 Jan 12
greenpacer
says...
12:24am Sat 28 Jan 12
at home
says...
3:04am Sat 28 Jan 12
TinkeyWinkey
says...
12:20pm Sat 28 Jan 12
Knobfm
says...
2:01pm Sat 28 Jan 12
I poured it myself.
I saw the grizzly sediment at the bottom of the unwashed glass, but I drank it regardless.
The next day I had a belly ache which forced me to spend more time than usual on these threads.
I forgot to open the pub and both my customers went home.
Later, whilst writing my book of abbreviations, I poked myself in the eye
Who do I contact for £75k ?
Gelatine magic
says...
8:02pm Sat 28 Jan 12
DanTheBear
says...
10:13am Sun 29 Jan 12
itsamess
says...
8:36am Mon 30 Jan 12
Hard to avoid as there are so many ads on tv and radio and media. Same with PPI.
itsamess
says...
8:46am Mon 30 Jan 12
Hard to avoid as there are so many ads on tv and radio and media. Same with PPI.
Surely insurance companies and the banks and lenders--who have been told PPI has been mis-sold could repay these monies and save the extra 30%+ costs of private companies.
I 2 Could B
says...
8:30am Tue 31 Jan 12
As the mat concerned was so obviously inappropriate, I'm sure we'll be reading of many other examples of people immediately being catapulted 9ft through the air upon touching it.
Given that she knows the cafe owner and is an expert in flooring, maybe the lady would consider buying the owner a mat she feels is safe enough for human use out of her 'winnings'. After all, cheeeldren may have to walk across the mat at some point, won't somebody please think of them in all this!
Hearditallbefore says...
11:54am Fri 27 Jan 12