Everybody wants their slice of somebody elses' pie.....A school caretaker has successfully sued Hampshire County Council after he was injured falling off a stepladder.
Anthony Gower-Smith, 73, fell off the 6ft (180cm) stepladder at Awbridge Primary School in Romsey in 2004.
In court, he claimed his employer had not shown him how to use the ladder. The council denied negligence.
But on Friday, Mr Gower-Smith, from North Baddesley, won his case on the basis the council was 75% to blame. His compensation will now be assessed.
Mr Gower-Smith, who had made a claim for £50,000, suffered a fractured skull, fractured cheek bone and kidney injuries in the fall, leading to treatment in intensive care.
This is in the UK but, I'm surprised it didn't happen here in the US. These days, people expect to live a no-fault life, having to bear absolutely no responsibility for their own lives or safety. And if something bad happens and they hurt themselves solely due to their own abject stupidity and carelessness, then somebody's going to reward them for their pain with fabulous cash and prizes. And there's no shortage of smarmy lawyers lurking around to help them extort riches from the deepest pockets in the general area, regardless of actual liability.
3 comments:
His employer didn't show him how to use the ladder? Its a six foot step ladder. How hard can it be to use one. It should have instructions right there on it! Why didn't he ask someone how to use it before he got on it?!?! Common sense. Come on, this is so ridiculous.
Apparently he was standing on the top step, which alone should have caused this case to be thrown out. Nanny-staters....I swear!
Yes, the ladder clearly has a label warning against actions such as that.
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