A costume designer from South Korea is seeking accident compensation following an accident at work in London.
The young woman had moved to London to undertake voluntary work at the National Film and Television School. She was adjusting the trousers belonging to an actor whilst standing on top of a staircase when the accident occurred in October 2008.
The woman slipped and stepped backwards off the staircase, falling three metres to the ground below. As a result, the woman – who had studied costume design in South Korea for some time before moving to London – suffered serious spinal damage in the fall, and is now paralysed from the waist down.
According to The Telegraph newspaper, the woman has filed a claim for accident compensation totalling £300,000 against the National Film and Television School.
Legal experts working on her behalf have submitted claim papers to London's High Court arguing that the injuries were caused by failures by the school to protect the safety of workers.
Not only did the school allow her to carry out work on the unsafe staircase, it also failed to 'provide a safe system' of work, the legal experts say.
The woman is now reliant on pain killers and requires assistance to complete basic daily tasks such as food shopping.