Compensation for Ambulance Worker Injured in Fall

An ambulance service worker has agreed a settlement of £6,000 in compensation after he fell down a flight of steps at work.

The man was going down some steps into the garage where his ambulance was parked when he slipped on a cup of coffee, which had been left on the steps by a colleague and which he hadn't seen, and fell. He suffered injuries to his lower back, hip and knees.

He brought a personal injury claim against his employers on the grounds that they had failed in their duty to provide a safe place of work and to ensure that other employees behaved responsibly. His employers admitted responsibility for the accident but their initial offer of compensation was rejected as inadequate, given the extent of the man’s injuries. Eventually, however, damages of £6,000 were agreed, which included compensation for the earnings he lost as a result of the injury as well as the cost of his medical treatment.

A trip or slip on a staircase can result in serious injuries. Employers have a duty to ensure that access ways are maintained in a condition that is safe for employees to use and that employees are mindful of the effects of their actions on their co-workers.