A train employee has been awarded over £10,000 in accident compensation after suffering a serious back injury. The accident occurred on a moving train as a result of an unsecured food trolley.
The lady was working in the catering area when the train braked sharply, resulting in the trolley shooting forwards and crashing into her lower back. The claimant was unable to continue working and went to hospital as soon as she was able, to receive treatment.
Upon investigation of the accident it was found that the trolley had been left unsecured, as the normal designated trolley points were full. In addition, the trolley brakes were discovered not to be in working order, and there had been a number of ‘near miss’ accidents in the past. Had the trolley been locked into a designated position, or properly braked, it would have been prevented from moving when the train jolted. Equally, had proper maintenance inspections been carried out, this particular trolley could have been repaired of taken out of service.
The defendant’s insurers initially refused to negotiate an acceptable sum and so court proceedings were issued. Further legal argument eventually resulted in an agreement for over £10,000 to be paid for the injury at work, without the need for court hearings.
