Lift Accident Tourists Awarded Damages of Over £140,000

If you are the victim of an accident caused by another's negligence, compensation is payable not only for any injuries you suffer but also for a range of financial and other foreseeable losses. In one case, an Australian couple won damages for loss of enjoyment of their holiday after a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe was wrecked.

The couple had been visiting a tourist attraction in London when a faulty lift in which they were ascending suddenly crashed to the ground floor. Both of them suffered fractured limbs and had to be medically evacuated home to Australia. Eight years after the accident, they still suffer physical and psychological consequences and each has a specific phobia of lifts.

The company that was responsible for maintaining the lift admitted liability for the accident, which occurred on the first day of the couple's holiday. A judge awarded them a total of more than £140,000 in damages, including £67,000 for pain, suffering and loss of amenity and £10,000 for the wrecking of their holiday plans.