How our Taylor Wimpey home hurt our daughter

Your home is your secure place, somewhere you can relax and enjoy as a family, knowing your children are safe. Right?

That wasn’t the experience we got when we bought a Taylor Wimpey home.

We moved into our brand new Taylor Wimpey home on 18th December 2015. There were some pretty big issues after completion, resulting in 12 weeks worth of garden work, as well as all the downstairs flooring being having to be replaced, but over the last few weeks we really started to feel like we were settling in, and that the house was just as we wanted it – clean, warm and safe.

Then on 28th July 2016, after eating our evening meal, Gemma walked across the kitchen to put her plate in the dishwasher. As she did so, the huge, heavy double radiator on the kitchen wall fell. Onto her leg. 

Taylor Wimpey

Taylor Wimpey

Taylor Wimpey

The whole thing simply came straight off the wall, pulling all the fixings and brackets off with it. Unfortunately, my 10 year old daughters ankle took the weight of it. Within seconds, blood was seeping through her socks, and on closer inspection, we discovered a large, deep cut which I knew would require some glue or sutures.

Ruptured Achilles

I rushed her straight off to the local emergency department, and we were seen very quickly. The wound was cleaned, glued and secured with steri strips and a bandage. It was obviously painful, and Gemma couldn’t hold back the tears.

Once she was cleaned up, the nurse wanted to check her Achilles reflex, due to the positioning of the wound. It soon became clear that there was no reflex at all in the injured leg, and after a call to orthopaedics, we were told that they suspected a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Gemma was taken to the plaster room to be put into a cast.

Ruptured Achilles

Ruptured Achilles

We left the hospital a while later with painkillers and crutches, and a referral to the paediatrics team in the larger hospital next week. The full extent of the injuries are not known yet – she may need an operation, she may need physio, and she is likely to need several weeks in a cast. The long term effects are yet to be seen.

My poor girl has had her summer holidays ruined by something that should never, ever have happened. 

After the incident, an on call plumber was called to assess and repair the radiator. He immediately found the problem – the large radiator was attached to an exterior, brick wall with small, inadequate plasterboard fixings.

Taylor Wimpey

We have reported the incident to Taylor Wimpey, who sent a customer care manager to see us yesterday. On arrival, they checked the radiator again, as well as agreeing to check all other radiators in the property at our request. 

They left, with no further mention of my daughter or how they intended to help her, or make her summer holidays a bit more bearable.

It’s not about money, it’s not about shaming a company. It’s about my daughter, who has suffered as a result of incompetence. It’s about the fact she can no longer attend the fun sports courses I have booked her in for this summer while I work. It’s about not being able to swim with friends this summer, or visit the local park paddling pool. It’s about a 10 year old girl not being able to play out in the summer holidays, not being able to kick a ball, play tag, climb a tree It’s about family holiday plans ruined. It’s about a child’s summer holiday ruined, it’s about weeks of pain, plaster casts, hospital appointments and uncertainty. 

It’s ultimately about safety isn’t it? What if that heavy radiator had landed on our newly walking 1 year old? Imagine the damage that could have caused. 

All Taylor Wimpey had to do was apologise, to offer my daughter something to help. They could have though outside the box, offered her some Toys R Us vouchers to buy herself some craft sets, some book tokens so she had new books to read this summer, or researched a family day out that would have been suitable for a little girl with limited mobility. 

But they chose to brush her under the carpet, and show little interest in the damage they have caused.

And that’s not OK. Someone has to speak up for her, and that’s my job. She deserves more, she deserves to be safe in her own home. Doesn’t everyone deserve that? 

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69 Comments

  1. July 30, 2016 / 3:04 pm

    My other half used to be a carpet fitter and would often be on the building sites for these new build houses and said he would never ever buy one, because they are thrown together quickly and cheaply, and no care and attention paid. I’m really sorry that this has happened to your daughter – what an awful start to the holidays for her. I really hope the company come back to you with a proper apology and some sort of adequate compensation!

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 3:13 pm

      It’s shocking how little care they put into things that people work and save so hard for!

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 3:13 pm

      It really is. My poor girl 🙁

  2. July 30, 2016 / 3:15 pm

    God how awful! And like you said, what if it was a baby/toddler toddling past… Doesn’t bear thinking about!
    Even though the customer care manager didn’t say much when he was there, you’d hope that they’d investigate then follow-up… They certainly will after this goes viral!
    Wishing your daughter a good recovery and happy holidays despite the cast xxx

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 3:27 pm

      Thank you so much. Thinking about a baby under there makes me feel physically ill!

  3. July 30, 2016 / 3:17 pm

    Oh my goodness! This is terrible….Your poor daughter.
    It is disgusting the problems you have had with the house and this is horrific!
    It is disgusting how Taylor Wimpey have handled this…I hope they do something more to make your girls summer holiday more enjoyable.
    Kim Carberry recently posted…A photo everyday for a year! #Project366 – Week 30My Profile

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 3:27 pm

      Thanks Kim, and thank you for sharing.

  4. July 30, 2016 / 3:18 pm

    This is absolutely shocking behaviour from Taylor Wimpey. The fact that they have not even acknowledged what happened to your poor daughter is unbelievable and they should be ashamed of themselves. I hope she makes a full recovery soon. I am so sorry she won’t be able to enjoy her summer holidays in the same way as everyone else but I hope she still manages to find some fun things to do x
    Verily Victoria Vocalises recently posted…The Conception Diaries #25 – Wednesday 6th July 2016My Profile

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 3:27 pm

      Thank you Victoria, it’s going to be a rubbish summer for her!

  5. July 30, 2016 / 3:24 pm

    It’s disgusting that anyone thought they could just bodge that radiator to the wall using those fixings. What a complete idiot, and they need to be found and disciplined. It’s a really nasty injury and your daughter and whole family are going to suffer- your daughter hopefully not forever. I hope you get adequate assurance that it’ll be investigated further and they’ll take steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again – plus a proper apology!

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 3:26 pm

      Thank you Jenny. It should never have happened!

  6. July 30, 2016 / 3:26 pm

    This is just shocking. I can’t believe they haven’t even acknowledged what your daughter has been through! I hope they take this matter seriously and check out all the fixtures and fittings in all these homes to at least give you some peace of mind.

  7. July 30, 2016 / 3:33 pm

    Oh gosb Kate this is horrible. It could have been so much worse like you said. I hope she can enjoy her sunmer still and wish her a speedy recovery. I am so shocked for you all and wish i could help

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 3:37 pm

      Thank you. Not the best start to summer hols!

  8. July 30, 2016 / 3:38 pm

    This is really bad. We had a similar incident with a private landlord. Our ceiling collapsed and smashed our wooden table. Luckily Sylvia had slept in an extra hour and had we got up as usual she would have been sat at the very place when the plaster came crashing down. Our landlord did not care. I hope Taylor wimpey homes do something about this. It’s not good enough to ignore you and to be honest, she has the consequences of their poor workmanship and they need to accept responsibility.

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 3:40 pm

      It’s appalling how badly some houses seem to be built and maintained! So glad your little one wasn’t hurt.

  9. July 30, 2016 / 3:41 pm

    This is awful! Your poor daughter. I live in a newly built flat block and the quality is appalling and the new houses that have recently been thrown up in my town look like they’re of the same quality. It’s such a shame that you spend so much money on a place to live but the building companies are more concerned with making as much profit as possible than making a house livable. I really hope Taylor Wimpey acknowledge what’s happened to your daughter, an apology would be a nice start but I think they owe you a lot more. Hopefully your daughter won’t require any surgery and she’ll heal quickly xx

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 3:43 pm

      That’s it – we saved so hard for this house, and it feels like such a waste of money now!

  10. July 30, 2016 / 3:48 pm

    Poor Gemma, absolutely shocking that they can care so little for consequences of their shoddy workmanship. X

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 3:49 pm

      I know 🙁

  11. July 30, 2016 / 4:16 pm

    Oh my gosh this is awful! I hope she is ok and not in too much pain. It does not bear thinking about if it was her younger brother or sister that got hit. I can’t believe that they have not dealt with this better, it makes the whole thing so much worse! My step- mum has a Taylor Wimpy home and has had nothing but trouble with it for the last two years since it was built. Xx
    Newcastle Family Life recently posted…Thing’s I Loved In JulyMy Profile

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 4:55 pm

      There seem to be so many people having problems with their homes 🙁

  12. July 30, 2016 / 4:22 pm

    Oh Kate! This is awful! You’re totally right, you have to speak up for her and I hope they come to their senses and offer you something. I would be considering legal action I think. Next time it could be so much worse and your poor girl didn’t ought to have to suffer! Xx

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 4:55 pm

      She definitely shouldn’t have to suffer due to their incompetence 🙁

  13. July 30, 2016 / 4:32 pm

    We had an absolute nightmare with out new build home, so much so that we decided to move out again. I might have known, the previous buildings were knocked down and the new ones erected and ready for tenants just outside of a year. We had so many problems!

    Wishing your lovely little daughter a speedy recovery.
    Jenifer recently posted…Slimming World Weigh In & A TGI Friday’s Debacle.My Profile

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 4:54 pm

      I have to admit, we have lost all faith and are considering moving out.

  14. July 30, 2016 / 4:34 pm

    Blimey I used those size plaster board fixing to hold a utensils rack up. They are no where near what should be used for a radiator. I feel sorry for your little girl for the lost summer of fun and the pain she will have felt. They seem like they have not even acknowledge the severity of the situation.
    Joanne Dodd recently posted…Kitchen and Bathroom RenovationsMy Profile

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 4:54 pm

      I think we actually have BIGGER fixings holding up a picture! It’s just appalling.
      Thank you, it’s definitely not the summer we had planned!

  15. July 30, 2016 / 4:38 pm

    Good god, that is appalling. Your poor daughter. Poor all of you. Just shocking. I can’t begin to imagine what would have happened if that was a baby in a bouncy chair on the floor in front of that radiator.

    I hope the press do get hold of this and that Taylor Wimpey are held to account. You really don’t expect such incompetence when you have spent to much money.

    Really hope you get an apology soon.

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 4:53 pm

      That’s what we said too – it could have been even worse.
      Thank you. The press have already been in touch…

  16. July 30, 2016 / 4:57 pm

    Oh my god how terrible! Hope your daughter makes a full recovery. TW should be apologising. I’ve not really heard a good story about a new build :/

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 5:14 pm

      You do hear a lot of bad things about new build don’t you?!

  17. July 30, 2016 / 5:09 pm

    Just awful Kate. It also makes you wonder just how many other homes on your site have the same ‘quality’ of fixings. Will keep everything crossed that your daughter doesn’t suffer any long term problems as a result of this negligence. I presume you are seeking legal advice. Sadly it seems that all new builds are just thrown up any old how with no regard to the families who have to live in them.
    Mary @ Over 40 and a Mum to One recently posted…Fishtales DVD – review and giveawayMy Profile

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 5:14 pm

      Thanks Mary. I have spoken to my solicitor.
      It does seem that they build the houses without enough care 🙁

  18. July 30, 2016 / 5:17 pm

    OMG Kate.
    I assumed she had fallen

    This is shocking and so scary. It could have so easily have been the baby……..

    They have to take this seriously. I’m so angry for you

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 5:19 pm

      Sadly not – this is all because of an unsafe radiator!
      I really hope they start to take this seriously now.

  19. July 30, 2016 / 5:19 pm

    This is crazy! Have you thought about the legal steps you can take? There needs to be a lot of compensation for this! Have they offered you compensation? Either way they should be sued – this is bordering on criminal negligence.

    • kate
      Author
      July 30, 2016 / 5:21 pm

      They have offered nothing – not even for the damage to our furniture, let alone my poor girl. They just brushed it off.
      I have contacted a solicitor today, waiting for him to send some info.

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