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Child cut hand badly on sharp area of handrail: can we claim compensation and if so what for?
My family and I were to attend a baptism celebration today when my daughter, running her hand along a public handrail in a pedestrian area sliced her finger open. My daughter who is only 3 years old was very upset, there was lot of blood and we had to take her to A&E to have her finger seen to as we couldn't get it to stop bleeding after dashing to a chemist and getting bandages. The finger did not need stitches but steristrips to hold the wound together and my daughters dress and my shirt were covered in blood. Altogether not the happy day we had planned. My question is, who is culpable for this and should I pursue this. It seems that a handrail that should be designed for hand contact (it is relatively new) is not fit for purpose being made of sheet steel with an area of razor sharpness. I am a chartered mechanical engineer and very disappointed that equipment of this standard is being installed where a child can injure themselves. My daughter was distraught and it marred the baptism celebration for everyone. What should be my next steps?
From your description it sounds as if the handrail may have been erected by the local authority in which case your first step should be to write to them complaining of this defect and explaining the damage and injury it has caused.
Clearly, it is wrong to have a handrail capable of causing injuries of this kind.
You can seek compensation for the damage to the clothing of you and your daughter as well as the additional expenses to which you were put - the bandages, travelling to hospital etc. You can also seek compensation for the injury to your daughter.
If the handrail was not erected by the local authority you should write in the first instance to the owner of the land on which it was erected.
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