Case study: over £13,000 for pedestrian after trip on defective road surface

Our personal injury solicitors recently helped a pedestrian who sustained injuries as she tripped and fell on a defective road surface whilst crossing the road.

Accident circumstances and injuries sustained

Our client, Mrs P, was crossing a road and approaching the bus stop on the opposite side. Unknown to Mrs P, the road was very uneven and had sunken in places around the bus stop. As she was nearing the pavement, she tripped and fell on a defective section of the road, hitting her face on the kerb.

As a result of the fall, Mrs P sustained the following injuries:

• Neck pain
• Back pain
• Soft tissue injury to her right shoulder
• Soft tissue injuries to both knees
• Black eyes
• Facial fractures

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Claiming compensation for personal injury

Mrs P instructed our specialist personal injury solicitors to help her claim compensation for the injuries that were sustained as the result of her accident.

We notified the local council of the claim, providing them with photographs Mrs P had taken of the road and outlining the details of Mrs P’s incident and our allegations as to why we were holding them at fault.

Liability was accepted by the local council.

Medical reports obtained

Our Personal Injury team obtained medical reports from specialists to determine the full extent of Mrs P’s injuries following the accident.

The initial report commented on the injuries to Mrs P’s body. The injuries to her knees and elbow resolved within three months and the ongoing pain to her neck and back was expected to resolve within 11 months of the accident date, aided by a course of physiotherapy. Further reports were required to comment upon Mrs P’s facial fractures.

Whilst further medical reports were ongoing, we secured an interim payment of £1,000 for Mrs P to assist her financially whilst the claim was ongoing.

The report from the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist stated that Mrs P’s intermittent nosebleeds and restricted breathing from her nostril were the result of a suspected nasal fracture.

Mrs P found it difficult and painful to eat initially after the injury due to the facial fractures, but this returned to normal after approximately 6 weeks. A maxillofacial specialist (a medical professional dealing with mouth, jaw, face and neck injuries) provided their opinion on Mrs P’s cheek fracture and confirmed that she experienced pain and numbness in her cheek for a couple of months but the fracture healed well thereafter.

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Claim for financial losses

We collated details of Mrs P’s financial losses that she incurred as a result of the accident and the injuries sustained. The financial losses were relatively minimal as Mrs P was retired, but included the cost of private treatment that she had paid for before starting her personal injury claim, travel expenses and a claim for some items of clothing which were damaged as a result of the accident. Her financial losses totalled approximately £300.

Settlement offer

As Mrs P recovered from her injuries in line with the opinions of the medical experts, the medical evidence was finalised and we were ready to commence the settlement negotiations.

Our solicitors settled the claim for £13,282 following negotiations with the council’s insurers.

Contact our personal injury solicitors in Bristol

If you have been injured in a slip, trip or fall that wasn’t your fault, our specialist personal injury lawyers in Bristol may be able to help.

Contact a member of our team today for a free no-obligation consultation on 0117 325 2929 or fill out our online enquiry form.