UK Court Awards Woman $14K for Broken Heel
Updated: Stiletto heels are apparently dangerous in more ways than one.
A British court has awarded a student $14,400 for a broken ankle she suffered when a stiletto heel broke off the first time she wore new shoes. And meanwhile, a Washington state woman had to have emergency surgery after being stabbed in the hand with her own stiletto shoe by a male acquaintance, because the wound became infected.
Sophie King needed surgery after the heel broke, and today her ankle still has painful swelling, the Associated Press reports. Her lawyer, Mike Hardacre, said King was out with friends the night that the heel snapped, Sky News reports. The shoe shop admitted liability.
Hardacre urged other British women to keep their sales receipts in case they are injured after experiencing similar problems with their shoes. Consumers are entitled to get their money back when a product is defective and damages if it results in injury. “This case highlights the fact that consumers are well protected in English law where products purchased are defective,” he said.
King told the Guardian that if she wears high heels now, she makes sure they are the chunky kind. “I know so many people who have gone over in their heels,” she said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if more people came forward.”
There’s no word from the Seattle Times about what continuing injuries the unnamed Washington state woman may be suffering. Authorities are still seeking her assailant.
Updated at 2:50 p.m. to include Seattle Times coverage.
