Last updated on May 30th, 2017 at 04:40 pm

Mr H was shopping in QD Stores at Ortongate Shopping Centre in Peterborough.  The escalator was out of action but the store allowed customers to use it as a staircase.

80mm drop caused trip on escalator

Mr H was walking down the stairs and when he got to the bottom he stepped forward, thinking he was level with the ground.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite level and dropped around 80mm, which caused him to jar his knee.  Unfortunately, Mr H already suffered a degenerative knee condition and medical experts have confirmed that the slip has accelerated the condition by four to five years.

Guidelines for use of escalator

The HSE guidelines for safe operation of escalators and moving walkways say:

‘BS EN115-1: 2008 recommends that escalators should not be used as regular staircases. This is particularly the case for vulnerable groups of people, where the use of stationary escalators should be avoided and other alternatives, e.g.: lifts or regular stairs would clearly be safer.’

Mr H did not feel that that the company had made the escalator safe for its customers to use and he contacted Graysons to see if he could claim compensation.

Graysons negotiates compensation with store

Graysons took up the case and contacted QD Stores, which admitted liability for Mr H’s accident and was able to negotiate an excellent settlement of £11,000 for the client.

If you have had an accident that you think was not your fault, please contact our experts now and we will arrange a free of charge meeting in which we can discuss your case.

You can also find out more about claiming compensation for personal injury on our website.