A 45 year old woman from Birkenhead in Merseyside has been awarded compensation of £3,250 after injuring her back, hip and knee upon entering a lift. The successful claim against her employer and sub-contractors was brought with the assistance of her union, PCS, and Thompsons Solicitors.

While working for The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions at Horden House in Birkenhead on the 18th of October 2004, the woman entered an elevator not realising that the floor of the lift was several inches lower than it should have been.

As she stepped into the lift, the woman misjudged the level of the floor thinking that it was at the usual height. Instead, she severely jarred her back causing pain in her leg and back for several months after the accident.

“The lift should have been properly maintained to ensure that anyone entering could do so safely,” said Lisa Gormley, the woman’s representative at Thompsons Solicitors. “A claim was initiated against her employers who in turned blamed various contractors who carry out maintenance for the lifts in the building. It was therefore necessary for us to issue court proceedings against four defendants. The case was eventually settled against all four of them, each accepting liability.”