Woman Wins £9,000 After Falling on Slippery Bridge

A woman has won damages of £9,000 for her injuries after slipping on a wooden footbridge.

The accident happened in the winter, when the surface of the river crossing was dangerously slippery. The woman slipped and fell, with the result that she dislocated and badly fractured her wrist. She has been left with a permanent restriction in the movement in the joint and the injury still causes her pain. It has also altered the appearance of her wrist.

The woman brought a claim for compensation against the local authority on the ground that it had failed to ensure that adequate health and safety measures had been taken. The wooden surface of the bridge had no anti-slip coating, the handrails were not at a suitable height and there was no sign to warn members of the public that the bridge could be slippery in bad weather. In addition, the woman discovered that she was not the first person to have slipped on the bridge.

It emerged that, prior to the woman’s fall, the council had inspected the bridge and recommended the application of an anti-slip coating to the wood, but no action had been taken.

Initially, the local authority denied liability for the woman’s accident, but she persevered with her claim and a compensation settlement of £9,000 was eventually agreed.