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Heathrow conveyor belt accident victim’s kin allege neglect

The victim’s lawyers have launched a case against Menzies to pay for transferring Jasbir Sahota to a specialist hospital

Picture for representation only (iStock)

By: Shajil Kumar

The family of an Asian-origin woman employee at Menzies has accused the aviation services company of leaving her in the lurch after she sustained injuries three months ago while handling baggage at Heathrow airport.

On February 14, Jasbir Sahota (52) sustained physical injuries and brain damage after her scarf got caught and dragged her headfirst into a conveyor belt while offloading luggage from an aeroplane, The Telegraph reports.

Jasbir’s children have accused Menzies of treating their mother “like a number rather than a valued employee.” She has been on the rolls of the company for nearly 30 years.

They claim she needs specialist care and should be moved from the NHS-run Hillingdon Hospital to the private Wellington Hospital.

Jasbir’s two children, Nina Haer and Harman Sahota, along with her brother-in-law Satti Heir, have now decided to take legal action against the company.

Lawyers acting for the family have now launched a case against Menzies in a bid to force the multinational to pay the cost of transferring Jasbir to Wellington Hospital, a provider of specialist complex care.

Satti claims that moving her to Wellington Hospital is crucial for Jasbir’s recovery as NHS hospitals cannot provide specialist treatment.

When the accident happened, Menzies had assured Jasbir’s children that they would do everything they could to help.

But as weeks passed by the family heard less and less from Menzies. They claim that the only practical assistance offered by the firm had been to pay for taxis taking them to Hillingdon Hospital.

Jasbir’s daughter Nina, 31, claims they have “become completely obstructive”. Satti said Mezies owes it to Jasbir has she has been a long-standing devoted worker.

Jasbir’s lawyers have discovered several cases of accidents at Menzies workplaces and they have been fined for inadequate safety measures.

Founded in 1833, Menzies has become a transport services giant, with cargo handling, ground operations and passenger services at airports across the globe.

Its global revenue grew by 10.7 per cent to $2.2 billion (£1.74bn) last year, its third year of consecutive double-digit revenue growth.