Woman hurt in town centre fall still in pain (From Warrington Guardian)

Woman hurt in town centre fall still in pain

A WOMAN who tripped up on loose paving flags in Northwich town centre in June is still suffering severe pain eight months later.

Lillian Morgan, 81, from Wincham still has to have injections in her knee after the accident, which happened on Witton Street.

She lost her claim for compensation from Cheshire County Council after the council was able to prove it had carried out regular inspections.

Her friend Elizabeth Capper, of Chapel Street, Northwich, is questioning why people were still falling over after Lillian lost her claim.

Elizabeth said: "I know one woman who fell over and broke her jaw in three places.

"I don't know how many other people had accidents.

"Lillian still can't walk properly - she has to walk with a stick - she hurt her shoulder, she is in a lot of pain and has to have injections in her knee."

Last month Cheshire County Council announced the paving stones were to be repaired after a catalogue of complaints about safety.

Steve Sharman, chief executive of Northwich Town Council said: "We have had a tremendous number of complaints about this.

"I remember when we met with the county council at the time someone mentioned they were getting quite a few compensation claims."

A Cheshire County Council spokesman said it was impossible to narrow the compensation claims down to one street.

But she said in 2004/05 there had been 54 pedestrian claims for the Vale Royal district of which 37 had already been successfully denied with no money being paid out.

The other 17 claims were still in the hands of the county council's independent claims handlers, Aon Claims Management.

She said: "The council is able to repudiate claims under the provisions of the Highways Act if it is able to show that it has carried out a programme of regular inspections and maintenance for the road where the accident has occurred."