Compensation for Sheffield Woman After Fall in Public Place

Claim against the council

A Sheffield woman has received £3,500 compensation in a claim against the council after she was injured in a fall in a public place.

Ms X was walking along a street in Sheffield when she went to cross a busy road. As she went to cross the road she tripped on the base of a bollard which was in the road causing injuries to her hip.

A letter of claim was sent to the Council who denied liability on the basis that an inspection was carried out in March 2006, some 5 months before the accident. The bollards were installed by the Council to define a cycle way and to alert motorists of its presence. Several bollards had to be replaced in the months prior to the accident due to vandalism. Unfortunately, although the Council were fully aware of the vandalism, the inspection frequency for the area was not increased. After further allegations against the Council they finally admitted liability.

The claim was settled by Katrina Elsey of Irwin Mitchell’s specialist Accident’s in Public Places Team. She said, “It was apparent that the Council knew of the vandalism of the plastic posts and no consideration was given at that time to the hazard posed by the base plates being in the road without the post in place.

"No inspection regime was put in place once the vandalism was known to be occurring and the Council simply waited for any reports of further vandalism to be received from the Police or other sources, without being proactive."