Advice about slip and injury at train station

[Sunny13579]

Hi,

I used the trains yesterday for a business trip and was unlucky enough to slip and fall and subsequently injure my left wrist and bruise my left knee. I believe this was caused by a slippy drain cover in front of the platform door way, although not entirely 100% about this as I was so embarrassed when it happened (because my supervisor was close by) that I quickly got up and brushed myself down and pretended it didn’t happen, because luckily he didn’t see the embarrassing incident. But I knew I had injured my wrist which I believe took most the force. I have a doctors appointment this afternoon to identify how bad the damage to my wrist is. But I am now having trouble driving and typing but cant not show up for work. Please can someone give me advice as to where I stand with the train station as I feel this could happen to someone else.

Thank you

[sailor sam]

Hi there,

 

Firstly, I can understand how embarrassed you must of felt.

 

But unfortunately I think because you did'nt report it at the time and obtained witnesses, you would'nt have much of a case for compensation.

You could however, contact the station manager at the station in question (which you hav'nt identified) and explain what happened and see what response you get.

[Sunny13579]

Thanks Sailor Sam for your thoughts. The train station was Canterbury West (South Eastern Railway).

 

As a consequence of what you said, I just gave South Eastern Railway a call. I explained that there were no witnesses (as it was at about 6am and the ticket sales staff hadnt started work). I explained what happened and I asked about the CCTV footage. My complaint is 'going to head office' with a request for the footage and I will hear from them in 5 - 10 days.

 

I just hope that they dont decide to delete the footage! Otherwise I definately have no come back if I need it.

[sailor sam]

Ok good, keep us posted.

[Old-CodJA]

Hi,

 

I used the trains yesterday for a business trip and was unlucky enough to slip and fall and subsequently injure my left wrist and bruise my left knee. I believe this was caused by a slippy drain cover in front of the platform door way, although not entirely 100% about this as I was so embarrassed when it happened (because my supervisor was close by) that I quickly got up and brushed myself down and pretended it didn’t happen, because luckily he didn’t see the embarrassing incident. But I knew I had injured my wrist which I believe took most the force. I have a doctors appointment this afternoon to identify how bad the damage to my wrist is. But I am now having trouble driving and typing but cant not show up for work. Please can someone give me advice as to where I stand with the train station as I feel this could happen to someone else.

 

Thank you

 

I'm a little confused by this one.

 

Firstly, the advice you have been given is first class and you may get a satisfactory response from the Rail Company, but you say there were no witnesses and yet you say your supervisor was close by?

 

Forgive me if this sounds a little harsh, but it is a question that will be asked in many people's minds;

 

Why would you be embarassed by a fall causing you injury if you are claiming that the rail company or Network Rail are culpable in some way?

 

I do fully understand the instant embarassment of the fall, which can happen to anyone, but I cannot think that you would not want a witness to see the cause if you instantly knew that you had sustained an injury through no fault of your own

[Scaredsheep]

Thanks Sailor Sam for your thoughts. The train station was Canterbury West (South Eastern Railway).

 

As a consequence of what you said, I just gave South Eastern Railway a call. I explained that there were no witnesses (as it was at about 6am and the ticket sales staff hadnt started work). I explained what happened and I asked about the CCTV footage. My complaint is 'going to head office' with a request for the footage and I will hear from them in 5 - 10 days.

 

I just hope that they dont decide to delete the footage! Otherwise I definately have no come back if I need it.

 

Could I suggest that you send a letter or e-mail confirming your telephone conversation and the action that you understand that SER is going to take as a result.

It may be a bit late now, but perhaps you should go back to the station and take a picture of the offending drain cover, and see if it is in the same state now as it was when you slipped on it. Ideally that should have been at the time of your fall ( and I understand why taking pictures would have been the last thing on your mind) but there may still be some evidential value.

As Sailor Sam says, please keep us posted - and I hope that you recover from your injuries soon.

[RPI]

You should definiately let the local station manager know so that if nothing else the offending drain can be dealt with so that no-one else has a similar incident.