A HOLIDAYMAKER who fell headfirst down stairs as she made her way to board a flight has received thousands of pounds in compensation, after first being turned down by solicitors.
Sheila Gilling, aged 69, from Badby in Daventry, received £28,000 from Thomson Airways who settled out of court following the accident on faulty stairs at Birmingham International Airport in September 2008.
Mrs Gilling was forced to take nine months off work after suffering a dislocated shoulder, torn hamstring and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and had to cancel the holiday to Lanzarote with her husband.
After first being turned down by a ‘no win, no fee’ solicitor, Mrs Gilling went to her trade union, the GMB, to use its legal services provided by Thompsons Solicitors.
Mrs Gilling said: “I was devastated when the first solicitor I approached turned down my claim.
“I knew the accident wasn’t my fault but they said they couldn’t win.
“In the end the GMB said their lawyers would take it on and I’m so glad I followed their advice and I’m absolutely delighted with the result achieved.”
Mrs Gilling’s accident happened when she used temporary stairs between the boarding gate and the plane.
The faulty stairs had not been properly connected and the steps and handrail were wet due to a leak in the roof. Thompsons Solicitors, experienced in holiday-related injury claims, showed that the accident was covered by the Montreal Convention, which provides protection to passengers who are travelling internationally.
Martyn Gywther, from Thompsons Solicitors, added: “It is only right that she is compensated not only for her pain and suffering but for the time she missed at work and also the holiday which she and her husband had to abandon.”
Joe Morgan, regional secretary at the GMB, encouraged all its members to consider using its legal services if they are unfortunate enough to become involved in an accident.
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