Is it just me these things happen too?

We have quickly caught up with the U.S. as far as litigation and such like.
Many incidents are down to users own negligence, but if you pay for a service it should be of good, sound quality concerning H&S.
No business should be without public liability insurance and have copies of H&S legislation/information with full risk assesssments done, both for their own staff and the public if they're involved.
I work in an office and yesterday was my update by my companys H&S representative who duly required me to fill in a full 2page risk assessment form and qustionaire and read and sign another form which says I have reread a large A4 folder each month.
The world has surely produced jobs for the boys in some instances but if you'r a victim of poor equipment which causes serious injury through no fault of your own at a marina, you should claim.
However, a minor 'scrape partially due to your own negligence would surely be worthy of a mention and a note to the senior marina/boatyard staff or owners. It would be appreciated as they are hopefully keen to provide a safe environment.

Photos, witnesses and a clear written explanation I would guess to be the minimum that you would require in a serious situation but perhaps a word in the ear of the CAB lawyer before you proceed?
 
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We had a cracked plank on the visitor's pontoon next to our boat in Brighton. I highlighted it with a bright orange crayon, and marina were happy for me to have done so - gotta look out for each other.
 
Not just you.
I did the self-same thing when I moored to a jetty on Windermere to climb the mast. It is a private jetty which we had an informal arrangement to make use of.

This picture has an arrow to the top of the furler (the bobbin was giving trouble) but you can see the broken board in the jetty a bit further along. That was where I stepped off the boat when arriving. I moved the boat along a bit to avoid falling down the hole, again. Hurty leg for a few days.

upmast.jpg
 
Same thing happened to my mum ( rare guest ) and self at Lymington Town Quay; mum went through a rotten plank and hurt her ankle quite badly, I was getting off the other end and just noticed a plank giving way under me in time, didn't even jump onto it.

This was years ago, sure it's OK now, we just mentioned it to the harbour dues chap and other boats.
 
I got off and just went strait through with one leg and the plank shredded into about 8 pieces. We took photo's, more for the blog than anything of my swollen, bruised and grazed leg thinking all would be ok.
I cotacted the marina as we are strait outside their office. They were not really bothered about me but did come out strait away and repaired the plank.
Today my leg is still swollen and painful so I dragged it to the doctors but like the whole of France they close for 15 hours at lunch. The walkhasmade my leg worse so I have been resting it all day and epected the marina may pop in with grapes or at least a wreath to see how I was. Nothing, not a sign at they are 10 meters away.
I now have to hobble up to them and pay for staying a couple of extra nights as my leg is not fit to sail with.
 
Humblebee said:
A couple of nights free berthing is the least they could offer you in the circs, even if they do so "without prejudice".
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Just hobbled in to see the manager who was aware. I told him I would be staying until Sunday or Monday as my leg made me in no fit state to sail. He suggested I come in to pay the bill on Saturday as there was no one to take my money on Sunday. :eek::eek:
 
Nostrodamus said:
Just hobbled in to see the manager who was aware. I told him I would be staying until Sunday or Monday as my leg made me in no fit state to sail. He suggested I come in to pay the bill on Saturday as there was no one to take my money on Sunday. :eek::eek:
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I know what I would like to do but then again I'd consider how much I valued going to these moorings and want to return one day, despite their lack of sympathy.
If you have photos, have reported it and have witnessess then all is good for the future if you wish to claim in any way.
 
Nostrodamus said:
Is it just me these things happen too?
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No. SWMBO stepped onto the pontoon at Mayflower marina and lost her footing as a result of slippery algae on the boards. She fell between boat and pontoon causing severe bruising. She held on to a rope which prevented her from going right under but tore a muscle in her chest that took 3 months to heal. It was the day before we headed south for the Caribbean and we had crew joining us so we didn't follow it up as we should have.

Had we realised how serious it was we would have postponed the trip and got proper medical advice. We would almost certainly have made a claim too. I don't approve of the ambulance-chasing culture but at the rates they charge you would expect reasonable attention to safety.
 
Sue them. These things only just happen due to negligence. If more people took the hump and complained shoddiness would soon disappear. You may just have a sore leg now but your life was at risk through their negligence. So sue them.

Have you gashed your shin? The bit just up from the foot is a real pain to heal as the blood supply is low. I have had several shin bashings (my own fault) and some have taken months to heal: antibiotics, scrubbing, cleaning and general bad news. Shins are shoddy healers so be careful. One of my shin cuts turned into a 2 cm diameter hole that was very deep and was bloody painful.
 
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Nostrodamus said:
Is it just me these things happen too?

I was giving the boat a bit of a wash down today and jumped onto the pontoon. When I say onto it was more into. The wooden board broke, my leg went through and I now have a gashed, swollen and very painful leg.

I hobbled to the harbour master with the broken pieces of pontoon in hand. To be fair he looked at my leg and asked if I wanted him to get a doctor. He then went and put another piece of pontoon in the gap I made.

Do these things just happen to me and should I take the matter further?

By the way we are in France.
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As you travel further afield you'll find docks in such dubious condition that you need a pair of skis to walk across them, let alone jump on them. You might get away with a boogie board, but unlikely. Get yourself a pair of skis now.
 
Salty John said:
As you travel further afield you'll find docks in such dubious condition that you need a pair of skis to walk across them, let alone jump on them. You might get away with a boogie board, but unlikely. Get yourself a pair of skis now.
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Or a good sharp hack saw. To steralise it should I soak it in spirits or heat it up.

I think it would be better with me soaked in spirits from the inside.
 
Nostrodamus said:
I think it would be better with me soaked in spirits from the inside.
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Oh, for sure. Most experienced cruisers are pickled from the moment they set off to the moment they return - it's the only sure fire way of avoiding scurvy and infection.

Snow shoes might do instead of skis if you don't have stowage space.
 
At Blyth our pontoons are concrete. The guano is a bit of a problem at times but otherwise they don't get slippery. They've been in place for a number of years now. Don't know of any damage resulting in people being injured.

Perhaps it would be helpful if some of the places with flimsy wooden ones were dragged through the courts. It does bring improvements.
 
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snowleopard said:
No. SWMBO stepped onto the pontoon at Mayflower marina and lost her footing as a result of slippery algae on the boards. She fell between boat and pontoon causing severe bruising. She held on to a rope which prevented her from going right under but tore a muscle in her chest that took 3 months to heal. It was the day before we headed south for the Caribbean and we had crew joining us so we didn't follow it up as we should have.

Had we realised how serious it was we would have postponed the trip and got proper medical advice. We would almost certainly have made a claim too. I don't approve of the ambulance-chasing culture but at the rates they charge you would expect reasonable attention to safety.
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Not so sure I agree with you considering claiming for what could appear as negligence in this case, with nothing but a natural substance underfoot.
A bit like the pathway outside a shop. If the shopkeeper clears snow from the path to the shop doorway, is the shopkeeper liable if someone still slips.... possibly. Therefore probably the less the marina does in this instance the less they can be seen to be held responsible.
 
Salty John said:
Oh, for sure. Most experienced cruisers are pickled from the moment they set off to the moment they return - it's the only sure fire way of avoiding scurvy and infection.

Snow shoes might do instead of skis if you don't have stowage space.
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Nelson was pickled from the outside in I believe.
 
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Scotty_Tradewind said:
If the shopkeeper clears snow from the path to the shop doorway, is the shopkeeper liable if someone still slips.... possibly.
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Not according to any legal opinion I've ever seen, which is at least three. The general consensus seems to be that provided you make a good-faith effort and don't do anything unusual and dangerous like deciding to use a hose to clear the snow and creating a sheet of clear ice, you're highly unlikely[1] to be found liable. Using a brush or shovel like a reasonable person is ok, and doesn't create any burden on you to continue to keep it clear either.

During the cold snap last winter, my local council put this advice on its website and asked people to clear pavements if they could.

Pete

[1] "Highly unlikely" because lawyers, like scientists, don't like to deal in certainties. Also note that the answer to "could I be sued?" is almost always "yes", because anyone except a vexatious litigant can sue you for anything however absurd. The real question is whether they would win.
 
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