Airport worker compensated after attack
An airport worker has been awarded with a sum of compensation after she was injured in her workplace.
The woman, who is a member of the PCS trade union, was attacked while helping to keep passengers safe at Heathrow Airport. She has since received an undisclosed sum in a compensation claim, after she took her case to personal injury lawyers.
The woman, who is in her late fifties and from Ruislip in Middlesex, was working as a security supervisor for BAA when she was attacked in 2006.
Woman attacked at work by passenger
The worker was supervising passengers as they went through the security section of the British airport and into the departures area.
A customer, whom a colleague was dealing with, became angry when her liquid makeup was confiscated under international travel safety rules.
The passenger went on to attack the worker's colleague and when she stepped in to try and help her fellow worker, the passenger punched her in the face and tried to strangle her.
After the incident and the personal injury she sustained, the woman had to take more than a week off from work and needed extensive counselling after the incident.
She eventually felt that she had to leave her job, and resigned in January 2007. The woman states that she still finds it difficult to be in enclosed spaces when she is surrounded by unknown people.
Legal help with making compensation claim
Following the accident the woman, who had worked for BAA for 17 years, decided to contact her trade union which instructed no win no fee personal injury lawyers to help the airport worker pursue a claim for compensation.
The no win no fee personal injury lawyer who represented the woman, was successful in settling the compensation claim after the BAA organisation admitted their public liability in the matter.
Explaining the incident, the woman said: "I was given no training in how to deal with aggressive passengers despite the increased passenger tension caused by heightened anti terrorist security."
She also added: "My nerves have been destroyed by this attack. Even after six months of counselling I am still anxious in enclosed places and among people I don't know."
Staff in need of training for 'highly charged situations'
Paul Smith, the PCS negotiations officer for BAA said: "Airport security staff have to deal with highly charged situations whilst maintaining the security standards expected by the public."
Mr Smith added: "People are naturally fraught at airports and staff should be trained to help them handle hostile members of the public not only to ensure their own safety but the safety of the thousands of passengers they deal with every day."
Anita Rattan a spokesperson from the no win no fee personal injury lawyers firm, stated: "BAA failed to provide Mrs Needs or her colleagues with either personal protective equipment or training."
She concluded by saying that: "BAA could have foreseen the risks involved for its staff and their admitting liability in this case shows that"
Updated on 3/24/2010