Kerb Stone Trip Results in £12,000 Payout

A woman who was off work for several months after she tripped in the street has been awarded £12,000 in compensation for her injuries.

The unnamed woman was on her way home from the town centre when she tripped over a kerb stone that had fallen below the level of those adjoining it. In the ensuing fall she fractured her wrist as well as sustaining facial injuries.

Her treatment included stitches, several weeks in a plaster cast and physiotherapy as well as dental work. She has been left with scars and was unable to work for several months while she recovered from her injuries.

When a claim for damages was brought, the local authority denied liability, arguing that they inspected the road every six months and the potentially dangerous kerb stone had not been evident in the most recent review. However, it was later discovered that the road had been included in the wrong safety category. It was a busy pedestrian route and should therefore have been inspected at least every three months.

In court the local authority was found liable for the woman’s accident and was ordered to pay her £12,000 in damages.

Accidents involving trips, slips and falls are very common and can result in injuries that are both painful and debilitating. They can occur even when the surface is only slightly out of alignment with the surrounding area. In order to succeed in a claim for compensation it is necessary to prove that the condition of the road or pavement presents a clear danger to users.