A City IT worker, who lost both of his legs after falling through the gap between a train and platform, is suing for £2million.
Matthew Robinson, 34, fell down a ‘significant gap’ at Bishop’s Stortford station on his commute home, after accidentally leaving his £3,000 Stansted Express season ticket on the train.
He suffered life-changing injuries, leading to a double-amputation which left him wheelchair-bound in 2013.
He is now suing the train operator Abellio Greater Anglia Ltd for £1.9m in damages at the High Court, claiming there was not enough done to ensure safety at the station.
Matthew Robinson, 34, fell down a ‘significant gap’ at Bishop’s Stortford station on his commute home, after accidentally leaving his £3,000 Stansted Express season ticket on the train
CCTV was shown of the moment he fell down the gap, according to the Evening Standard.
Mr Robinson told the court: ‘I knew there was a gap, but I wasn’t aware at the time how significant it was.’
Abellio is fighting the claims and said it had put in adequate measures, including regular announcement and on-board warnings.
Abellio is fighting the claim, arguing it had put in place adequate safety measures including regular announcements, platform markings, and an on-board warning to passengers to ‘take care when departing’.
Former area customer service manager, Kevin Walton, said the platform had been given a two-out-of-five score for likelihood and severity of possible accidents in a risk assessment.
But he told the court: ‘When you are doing those risk assessments, you don’t envisage people interfering with trains.’
Derek O’Sullivan QC, representing the company, said Mr Robinson was ‘completely distracted’ because he lost his ticket.
The hearing in front of Judge Martin McKenna continues.