*Irony klaxon*
An Australian tourist injured in a Tower Bridge lift accident ended up trapped in a lift at court when she sued those responsible.
Bronwyn Cowan and her husband Graham were among ten passengers injured in May 2009 when a lift plummeted ten feet and crashed to the ground. Central London County Court heard this week how the pair — who were just one day in to their dream holiday — endured leg fractures, while Bronwyn continues to suffer from the psychological trauma.
Unfortunately, the case appears to have had a shaky start.
According to the Evening Standard, there was a short delay to proceedings after the Cowans found themselves trapped in a lift at the Royal Courts of Justice, home to the Central London County Court. Bronwyn is reported to have then had a panic attack.
Addressing the court, barrister Christopher Edwards — who is representing the couple — asked for additional time to allow Bronwyn to compose herself following the incident. He said:
My client was briefly stuck in the lift and suffered a very unpleasant reaction.
Seemingly sympathising with Bronwyn, Judge Peter Wulwik gave her permission to use a private judicial staircase to exit the building at the end of the hearing.
The pair, who are from Sydney, are bringing the £300,000 claim against the City of London Corporation, which owns Tower Bridge, and two unnamed companies that were responsible for the lift’s installation and maintenance. The court will consider the value of the claim. Liability for the accident is not at issue as this was admitted in April 2016.
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