$620k claim over stair fall
Trainer takes employer to court
A GOLD Coast youth trainer is blaming her employer for tripping up car park stairs on her way to work, because they did not provide a trolley bag to carry her gear.
In documents filed in the Southport District Court, Kelly Danielle Lewis claims she stumbled on her way from the basement car park to the ground floor at Enterprise and Training Company Ltd in Palm Beach on August 23, 2018. She alleges she fractured ribs, cracked teeth, suffered soft-tissue damage to the cervical spine and psychological anguish, and injured her lumbar spine and left knee.
The 51-year-old now wants $622,556.50 compensation.
In the court documents, Ms Lewis claims the injuries left her with “a diminution of her income earning capacity” and “restricted her ability to undertake her pre-accident sport and recreational activities”.
Ms Lewis claims she had gone to the Palm Beach office to review the materials she needed to conduct workshops as a youth workshop facilitator.
When she was there she was required to carry her materials for the training up the stairs from the basement car park to the ground floor.
“(Ms Lewis) had previously requested a trolley bag on approximately three occasions prior to the meeting to assist her carry the materials required for the youth workshops,” it is alleged in the court documents.
The court documents allege that she was carrying the materials when she tripped and fell forward up the stairs.
Ms Lewis claims in court documents that her employers had failed to “maintain a proper and safe system of work” and failed to provide her with the appropriate tools to “assist her carry the items required for her participation in meetings”.
The risk of her injury was “foreseeable” and “not insignificant”, it is claimed in the court documents.
Ms Lewis allegedly required a large amount of medical treatment including seeing both dental and medical specialists and physiotherapy.
The documents claim she “suffered much pain, discomfort and inconvenience”.
Enterprise and Training Company Ltd is yet to lodge a response.