Ms H approached Paul Mulderrig of Farleys’ personal injury team to act on her behalf in a public liability claim against her local council.

Background

Ms H was on her way to post a letter on the estate where she lives in Rossendale when she stepped into a long and deep pothole in the lane. She suffered a fracture of her foot. She was away from her work as a school cook for almost a year and developed a chronic pain syndrome which left her with permanent pain in her foot.

Mrs H had initially been represented by a “claims service” who got nowhere with her case, so she then approached Paul Mulderrig.

How Farleys Were Able to Help

Paul agreed to take on the case against the county council on no win no fee terms.

Under the terms of the Highways Act 1981 each local authority has a legal duty to maintain the roads and pavements within its area but in this case the council initially denied liability for the accident. They said they had a reasonable system for maintaining and repairing the lane and shouldn’t be held responsible for the accident but local residents said otherwise. Paul and his team obtained witness statements from locals to prove that the lane had been in a dangerous condition for several years. Images from Google Earth in the years prior to the accident also showed that the lane had been in a poor condition for a long time.

Paul brought court proceedings for Ms H and, just as the trial was approaching in 2024, the council agreed to pay over £67,000 in compensation.

After the case settled Ms H posted the following a very kind online review saying:

I am so grateful to Paul and his team for everything they have done I would recommend to anyone thank you so much.

Paul commented,

“I was pleased to have been able to assist Ms H with her claim and receive a successful outcome. Poorly maintained roads and paths are the cause of so many injuries for people whether as pedestrians or in vehicles, and it’s important for people to know there are options for redress.

“By seeking compensation through a public liability claim, you can not only recover funds lost due to your injuries, you can also ensure that the cause of the injury is remedied so no one else has to go through what you have.”

If you’ve been injured in an accident in a public place, you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation. For a free, confidential discussion about your case, please get in touch with our experts at Farleys on 0845 287 0939, by email, or through the online chat below.