Pensioner wins damages after bank slip
A four-figure personal injury compensation sum has been awarded to a pensioner following an instance of slipping and tripping in a bank.
Patricia O'Donnell fell over in a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in Edinburgh last September and damaged tissue in her ankle, leaving her needing to take three weeks off work.
The 65-year-old manages a guest house but was unable to fulfil her duties for almost a month when she slipped on a puddle of water that had formed on the floor of the premises due to a leak emanating from the flat above.
During a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, it emerged that RBS - which has more than 40 million customers globally - had known about the problem since February, but had only put a bucket in place to catch the drips.
Sheriff Kathrine Mackie labelled this a "cavalier approach" to the health and safety of its customers and ruled that the bank should award Ms O'Donnell £7,500 in damages.
Posted by Chris Stevenson
20/12/2011 16:45
