compensation

[crowsashes]

went to the shop not long ago to pick up a few bits and pieces, a few veg crates from the green grocer and was hoping to get some sock yarn but no luck

any hows, i went in to the little supermarket to grab a few bits and something to read and one of those cardboard hanging signs fell down. nothing major, it fell i caught it picked it up and mentioned it to the staff. no one was hurt no worries right,

a woman in the isle gleefully turned round and said ' you could make a few quid from that' suggesting i sue the shop for a falling bit of card? and went off in a huff when i said there was no point, no one got hurt etc etc

the staff were clearly panicking about it and it took me a good few minutes to reassure them it was fine no damage was done etc , they even got the manager out to find out what happened again it was a bit of card! and i only mentioned it as it had fell ( in a bit of a breeze through the door)

i think they were more shocked that i wasnt the least bit bothered about it or threatening to claim compensation.

its scary to think staff are panicking over such small incidents and that there are people who will actually claim for something so simple that was clearly nobodys fault!

wonder what i could have got out of them though ?

[Nomada]

Don't know. My mum has a real injury, caused by badly maintained machinery in work, serious too, with major tissue damage, has had two operations on her arm and she's still strugling to get compensation off this ******* company a few years on. Therefore, it makes me so angry that people try to claim for such minor things, even when there's no injury. It's fraud! plus it undermimes the claims of genuine people who do have real injuries and have been left to strugle with expenses while they've had to be off recovering. Well done for having common sense and honesty and mad catching skills, gald you weren't hurt!

[thesunflowergal]

Glad to hear that you were not hurt crowsashes.

Yet I went into my local Boots 6 weeks ago. There was a spill on the floor, staff member had gone off to find a wet floor sign. I did not see the spill, and fell. I hurt my knee, ankle, hip and sprained both wrists. I was sat down, when the manager came over and started laughing. All of this was recorded in the accident book, but I was so peed off at her attuide that I complained to their head office. They sent me nearly £500, without me asking for it. I have been told since that this was to keep me quiet, as if i had of taken them to court it would have cost them a lot more. I figure boots can afford it, I would not have taken money from an independant store.

[crowsashes]

no body got hurt, i was just disgusted at the woman's attitude about sueing the shop

its just one of those things i have never liked, compensation culture, why cant anyone accept responsibility? i know there are genuine claims, much needed genuine claims but it was a bit of card!

oh well, i believe in that whole karma thing and those money grabbing people will eventually have it taken away.

[grahamhobbs]

I used to believe in that karma thing, but bitter experience has taught me that the money grabbing blood suckers not only get away with it, but keep getting away with it......until they now run the whole bloody world, and even when they've screwed so much out of the system that the system is about to collapse, they demand that we have to tighten our belts and pay to keep them in the manner they are accustomed to.

[bonniethomas06]

It is funny you should describe this scenario, as I have (had to due to the economic climate, please don't hate me!) do Personal Injury work at the law firm I work for, as the department I usually work in was particularly quiet.

One of our clients had exactly the same thing happen, and sued for a gash to her head.

Of course, it is impossible to say precisely without the whole facts, but if you were not injured at all, then you would not be able to claim anything. Damages are only payable where there is a loss - be it loss of wages or the cost of getting to the hospital etc etc. You also get damages for 'pain and suffering', although this would have to be verified by a doctor, and if it didn't even get as far as the accident book, I don't think you would have a claim at all.

However if it had hit you on the head, and left a tiny scar not even visable under your hair, you would be looking at (very approximately) £1000.

It amazes me what some people claim for. The arguement is that if people sue, it drives the standard of care up for everyone else, as employers/supermarkets etc want to avoid being sued again next time. In practice, their insurance companies pay out and the supermarket never hears about it again. I would question the long term affect on health and safety.

Don't get me wrong, some claims are truly deserving in my opinion, inparticular work-related injuries and asbestosis. But one client came in having slipped up in the recent snow....and another who tripped over a paving slab....

[pelmetman]

Personally I think this whole compensation culture has had, and will have very serious consequences to our economy. I for one will never employ any one again.
Not to mention that many village fetes or school sports days etc will disappear due to the cost of insurance, as for the lawyers who make a fortune out of us mugs, (yes it is us, you and me who eventually pick up the bill) they make me

[grahamhobbs]

It doesn't stop with higher insurance bills. The insurance companies, not wanting to pay out, are the driving force behind most Health and Safety regulations. Many regulations are commonsense good practice, but behind it, we now are forced to have an army of pen-pushers writing Health & Safety plans and Risk Assesments, not for the exceptional operation but for every bit of trivial work; and these reports have to be repeated and repeated for every job.
As a builder I've been asked to include in my writen Risk Assesments that cement can include arsnic and therefore should not be digested (ie. the guys on site are not to eat it!). The trouble is that the regulations are not used as commonsense, reports are not writen to communicate real and unusual risks to people doing the work but to catch claimants out because they haven't complied with the small print buried in some massive document.
All this costs us money, to protect the money of the wealthy.

[pelmetman]

Before I gave up curtain fitting 10 years ago one of my last jobs was in a pub that was being refurbished, but before I was allowed to hang my curtains I had to have a hard hat steel toe capped boots and a high vis vest, just in case I dropped a curtain hook on my foot

[liskeardjane]

i was knocked flying by a robber being chased out of BHS once, was a bit firghtened by it all, but was taken to their instore cafe, given time to sit and have a cuppa and compose myself, they made me sign lots of forms before I left. I wasn't bothered and it wasn't something I lost any sleep over but the forms made me wonder if they expected me to sue them, I never did anything, I was just unlucky and wasn't hurt - just a bit shook up and I got over that in about 20 mins!!!! funny old world

[JulieSherris]

I worked in an office that dealt with coach refurbs. One day, sat at my desk, I was aware that a coach was outside the door with the engine running - the exhaust fumes were coming straight in & into the office.
I got up to ask the driver to move it, or turn it off... went dizzy & fainted....head butting the wall outside the office door!! Yep, I stoved the plasterboard wall in as well.
Boss took me to the hospital for a quick check over & in A & E I was approached by a lady who started asking me if I required her services to sue the boss! Needless to say, I told her exactly where to go - talk about ambulance chasers!

On the other hand, the MIL was in her friends car 2 years ago... the friend (87yrs old) hit the accelerator instead of the brake at some lights & a rather nasty accident occurred.
MIL ended up in hospital for 5 days & was quite poorly - she still gets nervous in cars as well, even now, & to be honest at her age, it was an experience that knocked her confidence a lot, resulting in the start of a twice weekly home help (paid privately by herself), and that's just the start.....
We advised her to make a claim against the friends insurance - that's what insurance is REALLY for - the injured 3rd party..... anyway, she was awarded a modest amount - it didn't really cover everything, but ever since, her 'friend' of 30-odd years hasn't spoken a word to her!
Amazing.