Damage to Wheelchair in a large shop replacment by the company? (Hope this is in the correct place)

diinozzo

Did the wheelchair damage the mat perhaps?

Diamandis

Is there no option for you to get a wheelchair from the NHS? If you can I would do that because they are very good about doing all the repairs and adjustments needed on it.

Brie

OH - check with your local Red Cross.  They often have chairs etc to loan out or potentially to sell.  I bet they'd know someone who might be able to fix yours too.

TELLIT01

If a wheelchair hits an obstruction when being pushed from behind, surely the obvious thing to do is check what the obstruction is rather than trying to force the chair forward.  Then either tilt the chair back slightly or turn the chair round if necessary and pull it over the obstruction.

pinkshoes

nowtsevereasy said:

Ok in March we visited a huge 'Wallmart' type store, that have three outlets in Cornwall and one in Wales. Entering the store from the garden center department, my wifes wheelchair caught in the recessed 'bed' where there is a large hessian type mat to keep people feet clean and stop them trapising dirt back into the store.  
The wheelchair caught and it snapped off a plastic footrest and bent the metal support for the front small wheel. Rending the chair unusable. 

It sounds like you're talking about an entrance mat where they put the mat into a recess to prevent it being a tripping hazard.

I see two possible scenarios here:

1. A wheelchair shouldn't just snap like that. Sounds to me like the wheelchair was faulty. 
2. The person pushing was at fault. If you feel any resistance, you should stop pushing and wheel it backwards to see what the obstacle is, not keep shoving it forwards until it breaks. And if it breaks that easily, back to point number 1.

Even if the show were negligent (in what way was the mat faulty?), you cannot claim betterment. If the wheelchair was not brand new, you can only expect them to pay for the cost of a second hand one. 

Ath_Wat

nowtsevereasy said:

I also feel that as the chair was damaged inside their store that I should purchase a new replacement chair and bill the company the cost of it. 

Well that's not a reasonable assumption.  Just because it was damaged inside their store doesn't mean it was their responsibility.

I should add that as it is fairly obvious what store this is, I would like it if you could  sue the owner for an amount sufficient to bankrupt him.  But I don't think you will.

born_again

As someone who has a wheelchair for the Mrs. It must have been some hole to break a footrest off. Given their height off the ground.
Or given
>>We went to customer services, and they were most concerned about any physical injury to my wife. Which at the time was not apparent. <<
was it a case that your wife was thrown out of the chair? & with it being tipped that far, that caused the breakage?

Spies

Don't see how this justifies a whole new wheelchair to be honest, just get it repaired.

shiraz99

TBH, if they're wheelchair bound then they're likely entitled to a chair from their local authority's wheelchair services, and if that is the one they broke then they should be able to get it repaired/replaced FOC.