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Personal injury compensation news
04/03/2008
Civil courts next for road sweeper accident
Brighton and Hove council is in line to pay out personal injury compensation to a 73-year-old woman who suffered multiple injuries after being hit by a reversing road sweeper vehicle.
Unfortunately the council have refused to rule out the possibility of such an accident occurring again, saying that for drivers of these vehicles, reversing blind is an occupational hazard, since reversing is the only way of clearing blockages in the road sweepers' suction systems.
During proceedings at a magistrate's court, a Health and Safety Executive inspector gave expert testimony, commenting that a blind spot of around twenty metres was inevitable when reversing. In light of this, the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident has been cleared of any responsibility.
The council's defending solicitor commented on the difficulties inherent in the design of the road sweeping vehicles, saying, "We seek to minimise the possibility of an accident but it can never be ruled out. We can't ensure it doesn't happen again - we live in an accident-filled world.
"We can do our utmost to reduce the risk but we can't eliminate it. Even with CCTV there are substantial blind spots."
A spokesperson from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents commented on the case, "They need to have safe systems of work so both employees and members of the public are not put in any unnecessary danger."
The pensioner who was struck by the vehicle suffered severe leg injuries and a broken collarbone in the accident, and was forced to spend several months in hospital. Newspapers report that she will be pursuing a personal injury compensation claim through the civil courts. It is not known if this action is to be taken on a no win, no fee basis.
She expressed disappointment at the council's decision to go on using the vehicles when they present such clear and unresolved safety issues. She told press, "The more I heard about that vehicle the more I think it's really dangerous because it can't be made safe even if you put a camera in it.
"I feel quite dissatisfied with the council attitude that it will keep using them. I'm a tough old bird but a child would not be so lucky."
