Claire Newstead, Associate Solicitor based in our Leeds office, has successfully recovered compensation for a woman who was injured when she tripped and fell on unlit concrete stairs.
The accident occurred as our client was heading home following an evening meal with a friend. As our client was walking down concrete steps, her friend tripped, causing our client to lose her footing. Our client fell down at least three steps, landing on her face and wrist.
As a result of the accident, our client suffered a laceration to her face and several of her upper teeth were damaged. She also injured her wrist. The woman was off work for a week and suffered a psychological reaction to the accident and her subsequent injuries. She remains self-conscious about the appearance of her mouth and has noticed some changes to her speech since the accident.
The owners of the premises admitted liability for the accident and a settlement of £10,000 was negotiated on the woman’s behalf.
The case highlights the need for occupiers to ensure that their premises are adequately maintained to prevent them from becoming dangerous. Our occupiers’ liability team were also critical of the failure in this instance to provide a handrail, adequate lighting or warning signs in the vicinity of the stairs.