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The family members of an elderly lady, who suffered a head injury and a broken neck in a minibus accident in 2006, could now claim compensation for their suffering.
The 88-year-old pensioner was being transported in a minibus by the Age Concern Westminster organization, when the driver was forced to perform an emergency stop, having spotted a pedestrian in the road.
Subsequently, the victim, who staff had not secured in the wheelchair she used, was thrown from her seat and suffered a broken neck and a head injury, resulting in her death in hospital two months later.
The post mortem indicated that the injuries the woman had suffered during the minibus incident, had largely contributed to her death, and that had the Age Concern staff been properly trained, the woman would have been safely secured during the minibus journey and never suffered her injuries.
Age Concern Westminster pleaded guilty to breaching Health and Safety at Work regulations, was fined £10,000 and was also ordered to pay £5,000 in costs.
An HSE inspector described the accident as "foreseeable" and said that the woman's death "could have been avoided if Age Concern Westminster workers had received adequate training".
Now that the charity has been found liable for the pensioner's accident and consequent death, the victim's family members might want to claim compensation for their loss.
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