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Sometimes, repairs and renovations have the unfortunate consequence of making a situation worse rather than better and in Blackpool, in October 2011, a man fell on newly refurbished steps.
The Staffordshire man, who was staying at a nearby caravan park, was forced to make a holiday accident claim after suffering serious head injuries and damage to his eye socket in the fall.
The steps are very wide and shallow and lead from the promenade down to the beach, however, at high tide they become covered with water and consequently a layer of algae has appeared on the lower-most steps.
This algae is reported to be almost transparent when wet, and makes the steps very slippery. According to reports at the time of the slip and fall accident, when firemen attended the scene, they also had difficulty in maintaining a safe grip on the steps.
The holiday accident claimant told the Blackpool Gazette, "I recently went back to take pictures of the steps and I couldn't believe how dangerous they were looking down on them from the Pier. I was amazed they haven't got any warning signs up. There were signs to say not to go on the steps when the tide is in, but that is common sense.
"The way this front has been done is potentially lethal."
The council confirmed that a claim had been made against them in respect of the holiday accident, but declined to comment as their investigation process was still ongoing.
It appears that health and safety considerations may not have been fully recognised by council officials when gauging whether the steps required users to be aware of the danger of slipping.
Potentially, defence lawyers for the council may seek to argue that anyone using steps so close to the sea should, as a matter of common sense, be aware that they could be slippery when wet, and therefore, they may argue, that the claimant is partially liable for the accident. However, if algae is a known slip hazard, it would seem reasonable to expect a warning notice to be in place.
Holiday accident claim with YouClaim
Slip, trip and fall accidents are common occurrences for holiday makers as they negotiate unfamiliar surroundings, but, if an accident was foreseeable and could have been prevented by the body or organisation responsible for maintaining the area where the accident occurred, then it may be possible to make a claim for compensation.
YouClaim's expert personal injury solicitors are all accredited by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority and have years' of experience in this field.
We will do our upmost to ensure that your claim is handled quickly, efficiently and with the minimum of stress for you.
Call YouClaim today on 0800 10 757 95 or why not contact us online via this website.
