I slipped on coffee at college!.

maxfactor_3

Im on the second year at college Beauty therapy evening level 2.
Last night when we had our break,I was making my way to the refectory (drinks area) I have to go down the stairs to get there.
At the top of the stairs one leg went from under me in the direction of the splits with one leg upright.
I had a shock and thought I was about to fall down the stairs.
When I looked what I had slipped on,I saw it was coffee.
Another girl camr through the door to the top of the stairs and I warned her that someone and spilled coffee and she immedietely got tissues from her bag and cleaned it up.
I arrived at the refectory limping and told 2 other girls and they said they had seen the coffee and thought someone might slip.
We are doing the health and safety module at the moment so they told me to report it and claim.

I went to reception and they called the duty manager who did a report they gave me an ice pack and 2 spares and a drink of water and collected my bag and coat on 2 separate journeys up stairs and looked after me.
I was offered a taxi but I said I didnt want to leave my car in the area.
I found that I could walk on my toes with my knee bent but if I tried to walk with my leg straight my leg seemed to go under me.
The back of my leg hurts behind my knee,It is slightly swelled.
The duty manager said if I need to go to the hospy I need to inform him,however I may just pop to the walk in centre ?.

I dont want to jepodize my place at the college and enjoy the course.
I also have a slight head tremor although not noticable and I take no meds for this now,although about a year ago they had me sign a form to say I wasnt taking the anti seizure meds anymore for my head tremor.Although I dont have seizures or balance probs.
My leg could be like this for weeks and I dont work so cant claim any loss of earnings,I already am on incapacity benefits.
I dont want to be embarassed or get kicked of the course for claiming.
I dont really think I would get anything anyway as I dont work.
The college is a bit rundown and in about 3 years they may be joining with another college but they must have insurance.
I dont know if I,ve the bottle to claim or even if I should.
It does hurt between 1 and 10 I,d say it,s a 5 right now with swelling.Iam a softee should I forget it and just put it behind me.
Thanks

Wig

IMO yes you should just forget it, it is not a permanent injury in a week or 2 you will be fine again. People who claim for insignificant injuries (or non-existant injuries) frankly make me sick.

What a sensible girl your friend was to clean it up, what a pity those other two bozo's hadn't done the same or reported it to the refectory staff.

How is a college (or any business/institution) supposed to be able to watch every square foot of their property 24/7, IMO they should only have to pay if they have been made aware of the spill and were negligent in not cleaning it up in a timely manner.

CrispyUK

Sorry to hear about that

I'd suggest you get your leg checked out, whether it's hospital, walk-in centre or your local doctor, whatever you prefer just to check the damage, etc - there's the risk you could injure yourself further if you keep walking on it without giving it rest time to heal.

You'll probably need to let the college know, they'll be required to keep a record of all accidents on-site and relevant details.

Claiming is up to you, don't feel you have to, especially if it was just an accident, it appears from here that the college haven't been negligent (unless the coffee had been there for a long time/been reported and not cleaned up) and you've mentioned you're not working so no loss of earnings, etc.

morg_monster

yes i have to agree with the other posters, the college isn't really negligent unless someone told them the coffee was there and they didn't do anything about it. again - why didn't the other girls tell someone?!

I slipped on the front step at work which is ridiculously made of marble and very slick when wet. I was wearing trainers with decent grip but I went over and landed on the base of my spine! You should have seen the looks of the passers-by on Euston road, rushing from the station, as I bellowed a string of four letter words... Ive never been in so much pain!
I was the first person this had happened to - I was amazed at that as its been there 5 years - I emailed H&S with the accident form and told them I thought they should get some kind of grip on there. So I guess the next person could sue although they are better with the "caution slippery floor" sign now!

I was sore and stiff for a week and for about 2 months I couldn't do much on one leg (so get dressed in the morning sitting on the bed!), couldn't walk at more than a slow pace or do any kind of exercise. I finally went to the doc, had an xray, but luckily it was only bruised and it is all better now.
I might possibly have considered trying to get some compensation if it had been fractured as the consequences of that can last for years and years and could have had some financial/future health implications.

I would strongly recommend you go to the hospital anyway - just to check if there is any permanent damage. That way, you can get treatment ASAP. And if in the future you do decide to claim for something, you can show that you were concerned at the time, that you sought best treatment, and there will be medical evidence of the damage caused at the time.

But ultimately I would go to the hosp, and then leave it for now and see if it heals. As you say, what would you be claiming for at the moment. Wait and see what happens in the future but I would leave it for now as you don't know that there's damage that won't heal in a few weeks.

I hope you feel better soon!

pinkshoes

Given that it was evening, you can't really expect the college to mop it up as the cleaning staff had probably already done their cleaning shift, and this coffee was no doubt spilt by some muppet student later on who didn't bother wiping it up! The college wasn't negligent.

If it hurt so much, you should have gone to hospital as soon as it happened.

At the top of the stairs one leg went from under me in the direction of the splits with one leg upright.

If your body isn't used to exercise, then going into the splits position will cause you to pull a muscle!! (done it quite a few times - i'm clumsy!). Yes, a pulled muscle will hurt for a few days, but then will be fine.

If you genuinely think it's broken or seriously damaged then go to a hospital today, but I'd otherwise say just forget it, and look out for coffee spillages in future!

Accidents happen, and I'm not sure why you would need to make a claim.

Savvy_Sue

It's just made me wonder though: at my evening class we get coffee from a machine two floors below our class, and take it back to class as we don't have a long break. But there are no serviettes and the cups are those flimsy plastic ones which are quite hard to hold, so it seems to me like an accident waiting to happen!

Although I always walk down and get the lift up ... in case of accident!

across

ive had loads of falls and accidents over the years but never once thought to claim!!!!!!!!!i just think i'm clumsy ie,fell down flight of concrete stairs once newyears eve(under influence of booze of course!) ; slipped in a load of vomit in manch arndale in the eighties (my jeans were soaking!),nearly drowned a few times times in foreign pools and sea,front door handle once came flying off in my hand and i went flying down my front path ended up lying by the gate (hubby and kids parking up just saw me dissappear behind wall!) slipped on laminate floor in my house the other week grazed all my arm hurt back and legs! i am now very aware of any vomit in my way,keep off booze and learn from something new every day! hope my mishaps have made you feel better!:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

bestpud

maxfactor wrote: »

should I forget it and just put it behind me.

In a word - yes!

Jennifer_Jane

A slightly different perspective... years (decades) ago I was at a rugby dance, slipped on a wet floor, and dislocated my knee. I quickly put it back in the right position, and was carried home, and received NHS treatment for it, of course. My point is that years later I have had loads of problems with the knee, it's become arthritic and I have had to pay doctors to drain it of fluid and it's very swollen (not to mention painful, and I have considered a knee op which I would have to have privately). So, just get yourself the treatment now and ask the doctors what they think will happen in the future. If nothing, then fine, lucky you.

Regards and good luck
Jen