Injury compensation claims

A man, who was injured in an accident where a lift plunged 100ft, is reported to be making a compensation claim.

Stephen Dinsdale was on a stag weekend with friends in Newquay, Cornwall when the accident happened in April 2010. They were staying in the Hotel Victoria in the popular resort.

Mr Dinsdale was in the hotel lift with five friends when it became stuck. The lift went down from the hotel to a sandy cove by the sea, underneath the hotel.

Hotel staff reassured the trapped men that the lift could be manually slowly winched down. However, the lift plummeted 100ft (30 metres) to the ground below, causing the 44 year old injury. Two others from the group suffered minor injuries in the lift fall.

The door of the lift buckled in the impact with the floor, leaving the men trapped. In total, 85 members of the emergency services were needed to free them. The fire crews had to be taken to the cove by lifeboat crews, as the only access at high tide is by sea.

Mr Dinsdale suffered a serious leg injury in the incident, and still has not regained full use of the limb. The BBC reports that he is now making a personal injury claim against the hotel. It is claimed that the lift had not had a full inspection for nearly two years before the accident.