A 75-year-old woman recently fell down on a footpath and suffered two black eyes and bruising. The pensioner fell down a pothole in the town of Skelmersdale. Pothole falls such as this are common and are a main cause of public liability claims.
Her daughter has branded footpaths ‘treacherous’ all over the town and is calling on the council to sort out the problem to stop anyone else from suffering in this way.
She says “The pavements are so treacherous in Skelmersdale. Something has got to be done because it’s a widespread problem. The underpasses get flooded and people have to walk in those places. Those footpaths are dangerous, and the subways get flooded when it’s raining so you can’t go through them, and people have to walk through them all the time.
“The majority of the footpaths and subways in Skelmersdale are not fit for purpose. The majority of the footpaths are a disgrace. Nothing seems to get repaired in Skelmersdale and people are fuming because of the state of the place.
Pothole Falls
Pothole falls are amongst the most common type of public liability accidents. Most of these types of accidents are slips, trips, and falls. These accidents can happen on the pavement, on the road or on public footpaths in parks.
There are certain rules when claiming for tripping on a pothole or defect in a pavement or road. On a pavement, a pothole or defect must be at least an inch deep or raised. In the road, this must be at least 2 inches deep and at least 12 inches wide.
Compensation Claims against the Council
The Highways Act 1980 states that local authorities are responsible for keeping all roads and footpaths safe to use. Keeping all roads and pavements marble smooth at all times is both unnecessary and impractical. However a council has a legal duty to repair any damage that occurs to surfaces. They must do this by making repairs within six months of being notified of the risk. If a local council does not do this and someone has an accident, then they may be liable.
Did you suffer injury on council property due to their failure to fulfil their duty of care? If so, The Compensation Experts can guide you through the process of making a claim against the council.
Council compensation claims can include:
- Damage sustained from pothole falls from a pothole that is more than one inch (2.5 centimetres) deep.
- Tripping on a pothole while walking
- Cycling into a pothole and being hurt in a resulting crash
- A pothole causing a car accident in which you are injured, or your car damaged
- Tripping on uneven paving or pavement where a stone is sticking up by at least one inch
How We Can Help
Here at The Compensation Experts, we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with personal injury claims. This includes pothole falls. Contact us today by filling in our contact form. Or call us on 01614138765 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable advisors.