A COUPLE injured when the ceiling caved in at Manchester's Arndale Centre have had an apology from centre bosses for their handling of the incident.
Lyndsay Lowe,35, suffered muscle damage to her neck and her boyfriend Andrew Munro, 39, suffered cuts on his arm and a head injury when a section of the ceiling in Exchange Court fell in, due to water damage.
But they claim they were ‘brushed off’ when they called the centre.
The couple, from Ashton-under-Lyne, went straight to hospital after the incident which they say ruined their night.
Andrew, a self employed painter and decorator, was off work for a week.
When no-one from the city centre shopping centre rang to check on their condition or explain the collapse, they made the call themselves - but were told to write a letter.
Apologised
Manager Glen Barkworth has apologised to the couple for not responding to their complaint and assured customers the ceiling is safe.
Lyndsay, a mum of one from Mansfield Street, said: “They just brushed me off when I called and said they didn’t have time to deal with it.
“I couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t our fault the ceiling fell in, they should have called to see how we were.”
The couple were on their way for dinner when the accident happened.
Lyndsay added: “It was such a shock. Suddenly there was a loud crack and we were covered in plaster. There were lots of people around and it could have been worse.”
Lyndsay and Andrew are employing solicitors to handle claims for their injuries.
Distress
Dad of one Andrew said: “It caused a lot of distress.”
Mr Barkworth said: “I have apologised to Miss Lowe on behalf of Manchester Arndale for not dealing satisfactorily with the phone call she made to the Centre.
“The safety and welfare of our customers is paramount, as is our commitment to customer service.
“The ceiling area in question has been removed and reviewed by our engineers.
"All other areas have been checked and we can ensure full safety to our customers and staff.“
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
the monkey, bolton (19/01/2010 at 08:39)
Kurt Stephens (19/01/2010 at 09:07)
People like this who will grap cash at every oppurtunity.
Bethany, Rochdale (19/01/2010 at 09:10)
Ron, Gorton (19/01/2010 at 09:22)
If they get compo they should donate it to the Haiti fund.
You will probably find that the reason why the Arndale didn't phone up is the same reason that you aren't supposed to say anything after a car crash because some solicitor will jump on it as an admission of guilt.
DONATE YOUR COMPO TO HAITI.
Tezza, Tyldesley (19/01/2010 at 09:25)
If this man is a self employed painter and decorator then yes he should be compensated for the days he has lost but that’s all.
john hall (19/01/2010 at 09:40)
mort (19/01/2010 at 09:41)
Tezza, Tyldesley (19/01/2010 at 09:45)
And I bet you don’t all see this comment
want to leave, Stretford (19/01/2010 at 09:51)
Dave (19/01/2010 at 09:58)
"It wasn’t our fault the ceiling fell in"
"It caused a lot of distress."
"There were lots of people around and it could have been worse"
It was water damage, it's one of those things. I don't see how the Arndale could have prevented it unless they do hourly inspections of all the building to make sure it's safe, which is impossible to do.
I hope the courts throw the case out.
Careless Whisper (19/01/2010 at 10:13)
Audenshaw Bob (19/01/2010 at 11:00)
After my crashes a solicitor phoned me asking if I felt any distress, suffered trauma, flashbacks, anxiety, trouble sleeping, pain, said I should see a doctor etc.
This woman in Arndalegate said 'It wasn’t our fault the ceiling fell in, they should have called to see how we were.” Well the drivers who crashed into me never phoned to see how I was. Perhaps that is because in the second incident the driver was killed. It put my bruises into perspective.
arachne, The Web (19/01/2010 at 12:02)
At school a bit off the roof of a gym fell on me and gave me a small scar on my arm. It was an accident and there was no thought of any compensation.
Lets hope that if this goes to court and if they win, that the judge grants them just 1p because it appears to be just an accident and there was no malice. Greed should have no place, but in modern society it's all too common.
Jiggerz, Mancunia (19/01/2010 at 12:04)
The Arndale should offer to cover his weeks wages as a gesture of goodwill, to consider suing the company for a few scratches and bruises and a missed night out beggars belief.
Blunt (19/01/2010 at 12:17)
Mike, Manchester (19/01/2010 at 12:46)
nn, STOCKPORT (19/01/2010 at 13:04)
AND AUDENSHAW BOB,WHO TOLD YOU NOT TO CLAIM YOU WERE ENTITLED TO IT SO YOU SHOULD OF CLAIMED!!! DONT KNOW WHY ALL OF YOU ON HERE ARE MAKING A BIG DEAL ON COMPO!!
DEARY ME!!
andy waytomakeacomment, Greater Manchester (19/01/2010 at 13:19)
Perhaps because, ultimately, we all pay for it.
By the way, you might want to try using the key marked 'Caps Lock' on the left side of your keyboard from time to time.
mort (19/01/2010 at 13:19)
nn, STOCKPORT
what a PLANK!!!
Audenshaw Bob (19/01/2010 at 13:24)
Besides the court will decide if they are 'entitled' to it but you, like most, see it as a right that you should receive money for even the smallest mishap. Not everybody gets compo and many are left with costs to pay. 'No win no fee' sounds great until you lose and it becomes 'lose and you pay all costs'. Happened to a mate of mine who was already planning his holiday but got walloped for £3k instead.
As for my crash I didn't claim because I was relatively unscathed and didn't fancy claiming from the estate of a dead man. Maybe I am too soft.
d1v1s1onby0, Wigan (19/01/2010 at 14:56)
Who are you ? and how are you qualified to make such statements?
"Happened to a mate of mine who was already planning his holiday but got walloped for £3k instead"
Hmmm - the solicitor has insurance to cover these cases where they dont win. So the ONLY way your mate could have been landed with a bill is if he withheld material information from the solicitors that came to light and resulted in the case being lost and the insurance not paying out.
Maybe you need more honest friends ? either way you shouldn't judge every claim by those standards.
The fact that there is such an obligation for shops / workplaces etc to be safe - with a financial implication if they're not in the form of compensation payouts has resulted in more companies taking safety more seriousley as the only language they understand is £££.
This has resulted ultimatly in less injuries, to the benefit of everyone
Knowall, stretford end (19/01/2010 at 15:59)
My old dad a pensioner had a small accident in his car with a private taxi some months ago, the damage to his car cost £15 to put right, when he got his renewal the insurance had gone from £194 to £780, when he questioned this he was told there was a personal injury claim lodged by the taxi driver of nearly £5000, after my dad's statement the insurance company are now disputing the claim and my dads renewal is £230.
SteveDB (19/01/2010 at 16:06)
Copy Cat, Castleton (19/01/2010 at 16:23)
sallyg, Lancs (19/01/2010 at 16:48)
You're partly right. They have to prove that the incident WAS the fault of someone else(be that an individual or a corporation). It's not good enough that it's not their fault. Someone has to be at fault for them to be able to claim.
However, they weren't injured as such. But I'm sure they can persuade a medical expert to write a report detailing their horrific injuries,with a bit of persuasing from a PI solicitor.