Personal injury claim news
29/12/2011

Scotswoman wins wet floor injury claim

A Scottish businesswoman has made a successful personal injury claim after injuring her ankle at a local bank.

The 65-year-old slipped on a wet floor caused by a leak from the flat above.

The guesthouse owner was wearing flat ankle boots with a ridged sole and after the fall her footwear, sock and trousers were wet.

She was left unable to work for three weeks following the accident in September 2010.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that the bank's ceiling had been leaking since February that year, and that water had been falling near to where customers queued to be served.

Bank staff provided a bucket to catch the drips, but the Sheriff criticised their failure to deal with the source of the leak prior to the victim's injury claim.

"I formed the impression that the defenders had adopted a cavalier approach to the risk presented by the leak," she said. "They had become overly complacent."

She rejected the bank's claim that the victim should have been aware of water on the floor.

"Water is a clear substance," she said. "There was no evidence that water on the linoleum floor would be visible to a customer taking reasonable care for their safety."

The woman was awarded a total of £7,500 personal injury compensation.