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Woman sues Tate Modern over slide injury
Rob Sharp, Evening Standard26 Feb 2007
The Tate Modern faces a legal battle after a visitor was injured on one of the gallery's stainless steel slides.
Charity worker Kate Phillips is suing the gallery after breaking her hand on the exhibit last year.
Ms Phillips, from Glasgow, said she broke bones in her hand and needed seven stitches after sliding down a helter-skelter designed by Belgian artist Carsten Holler, currently one of the museum's star attractions.
Ms Phillips said: "I am claiming for the loss of facility of my right hand...it's been a real problem. I couldn't type, write or drive for two months.
I travel extensively with work but I couldn't even carry a suitcase. Only now, three months on, am I starting to get back to normal."
The slides have attracted more than 500,000 visitors since they opened in October and the gallery confirmed there had been five reported injuries.
Ms Phillips said: "I'm still having physiotherapy. It's sore and sometimes keeps me awake at night. I've not got the strength back yet. I'm sure my hand will never be the same again."
Holler has claimed that his slides, the biggest of which spans five storeys and is 180 feet high, are a fusion of art and architecture which could be used to combat stress and depression.
A gallery spokeswoman said Tate Modern had done all it could to ensure the safety of the slides. She said the gallery provided users with instruction leaflets, signs, guidance-from staff and protective clothing.
"Our advice has been approved following a full inspection by the local health and safety department of Southwark council. All of these injuries have been caused by visitors who have not followed the instructions for using the slides."
However, in the early days of the exhibit, the gallery was forced to install extra rubber mats after the slides' first users reportedly emerged with friction burns.
Reader views (5)
Compensation-'Where-there's-blaim,-there's a claim'-Culture is killing me. When will people take responsibility for their own actions? This idea that you can sue anyone or anything due to personal injury is ridiculous. If someone runs you over in their car because they weren't looking, fair enough; but if you send yourself down a five storey slide, after reading warnings and instructions and come out with an injury, tough luck. Deal with it, except that you took a risk, it didn't quite work out, and get on with it. I just read that a 35 year old charity bath race, that last year raised £250,000, will not take place because of expensive insurance and health and safety concerns. Madness, and very sad. Stop making compenstation claims or pretty soon we won't be able to do anything at all, the insurance will be too expensive!
- Jon Sheldon, London, 02/03/2007 12:19
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Well, I have to taken her side on this one, if she's been out of action for while because of personal injuries ie. the torn ligament, then yes, in my opinion, she claim for compensation and back pay.
- Nicola Reynolds, Dublin, Eire, 27/02/2007 15:01
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Silly bat! The Tate has done everything it could to make those slides fun and as safe as possible. I fell down the stairs 6-7 years ago and got what the doctors name as "skier's thumb". I'd completely (well 90 odd %) torn the ligament that holds my thumb to my hand. I was told I may have to have an operation, which, much to my horror, I did. Micro surgery put it back again and I underwent about 6-8 months of physiotherapy. My right hand was completely out of action for about 4-6 weeks, at most. I did my physio and now it is as good as it was before - at least I think so. I can grip jars more tightly than I did before, certainly. OK, I couldn't swing my signature for a while, but the banks and building societies understood and never did I have any problem. I began to use my left hand much more so that now I can quite comfortably use a pencil, marker pen or chalk with it - not as clearly as my right hand, but legible. She can carry her suitcase in her left hand, too. If I were the judge, I'd throw the case out!
- Carlyle Braden, Croydon, UK, 26/02/2007 16:28
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I totally agree with Ag! People have to learn to live with life's risks again. Nobody forced her to go on the slide, she did it our of her own free will and therefore should should deal with the consequences.
Maybe there should be more signs "Use at own risk" these days, as people seem to have forgotten that they are responsible for themselves, including action and reaction.
- Iris, Kent, 26/02/2007 12:34
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What ever happened to the word accident? She must have know it might have been remotely possible to injure one's self on a metal slide but took the decision to use it anyway. Please let's not become a mini America that feeds lawyers fees for this sort of ridiculous rubbish.
- Ag, London, 26/02/2007 12:11
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