Our personal injury solicitors helped a widow claim compensation after her husband was injured in an accident caused by poorly maintained pavements.
Our client, Alex*, was a retiree in his mid-sixties who enjoyed spending time with his wife and travelling round his local community in his mobility scooter. He used a mobility scooter after suffering a stroke which made it hard to get about without support.
Alex, was travelling along a pavement not far from his home. The pavement was in a poor state of repair and was an uneven surface. Alex rode over a large dip in the pavement, causing the scooter to tip and throw him out.
Following the accident, Alex was in significant pain. Luckily, an ambulance crew were nearby and helped Alex back on to his scooter. As he was near home, Alex rode his scooter back where his wife, Christine*, rang him another ambulance.
Paramedics then took Alex to hospital. A medical inspection showed that Alex had broken his upper left thigh bone and needed a dynamic hip screw fixation. This means putting a screw at the top of the thigh bone to aid stability and healing.
After a three week stay in hospital, Alex contacted our specialist serious injury team to see how we could support him in building a compensation claim. Solicitor, Katie Lowe began working with Alex and his family to help claim against their local authorities.
Under the Highways Act 1980, Alex’s local authority was responsible for maintaining the pavement where Alex fell. However, they didn’t do so and allowed for the pavement to fall into disrepair.
Katie consulted medical experts about Alex’s injuries and the psychological impact of the accident. These experts included an Orthopaedic Consultant and Consultant Psychologist. The Orthopaedic Consultant then confirmed that the accident had reduced Alex’s life expectancy and mobility.
Sadly, Alex passed away while the claim was ongoing. Following this devastating loss, Alex’s wife, Christine, continued with the claim.
Katie sent the finalised medical evidence to the local authority along with an to settle the claim. The local authority failed to respond so Katie then took the claim to court. Katie negotiated Christine a five-figure compensation settlement, giving her some much needed financial security as she depended on Alex’s pensions and benefits before the accident.
Katie added, “Sadly, no amount of money will make up for the loss of her husband. However, with the settlement I hope Christine can move forward with the peace of mind of financial security.”
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury, call us on 0370 1500 100 or contact us online to see how we can help.
*Not actual names used
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