£55,000 for teacher who slipped on a chip

A school teacher who slipped on a chip outside the canteen has been awarded £55,000 compensation.

The teacher had been at the school for 20 years prior to the accident which took place in December 1998. She had been carrying jotters when she slipped and fell on a ramp and strained knee ligaments. Following the accident she was on crutches for five months and underwent intensive physiotherapy.

The judge ruled that the council should have realised that the ramp posed a risk. On the day of the accident the ramp had been slippery and exposed and had not been maintained in an efficient state. He added that non-slip flooring should have been installed and priority given to cleaning it. He also stated that it would have been difficult to spot the chip on the ramp due to the colour and pattern of the tiled flooring.