A bank cashier who fractured her ankle when she fell down a step at work has received almost £9,000 in compensation .
Jackie Edwards, aged 48, from Basildon, Essex, was forced off work as a result of her injuries for six months following the accident at Lloyds TSB’s branch in Benfleet in 2006.
The Unite member had been seconded to the office to cover for the cashier. She tumbled as she was carrying two metal boxes from the bank’s safe to the cashier desk. As she passed through an open door in the passageway she fell down a “hazardous step” which had no warning signs and fractured her left ankle, sprained her right ankle and also damaged her knee.
Mrs Edwards, who had worked for Lloyds TSB for five years, decided to contact Unite following the accident to make sure the correct health and safety procedures were put in place to avoid future accidents. They instructed their solicitors to file a compensation claim for Mrs Edwards following her accident at work .
Lloyds TSB admitted liability and she was awarded the payout. Mrs Edwards, who lives in Vange, Basildon, and no longer works for the company, said: “This accident meant I had to get help to care for my elderly mum and my disabled son. I was also unable to walk the dog or undertake my hobby of speed walking. I felt aggrieved I had to spend six months off work when this accident could have been avoided easily and I wanted to make sure no-one else suffered the same fate.”
Anna Konzon from Thompson’s Solicitors who acted on Unite’s behalf said: “Under health and safety legislation employers have a general duty of care, which includes addressing this type of hazard. A good management system should be in place so employers can identify problem areas, decide what to do, act on decisions made and check that the steps taken have been effective.” Andy Frampton from Unite added: “Our member suffered a serious injury which could have easily been prevented had a simple warning sign been in place letting people know there was a step. It is only right she is compensated.” Lloyds TSB were unavailable for comment.