Personal injury news
15/03/2007

Pensioner makes compensation claim for Glasgow accident

A pensioner who was knocked down by a policeman chasing a suspected criminal has been awarded £8,000 in damages.

The 74-year-old lady contacted personal injury solicitors and made a compensation claim after she suffered multiple injuries whilst shopping in Glasgow in June 2002.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how the woman was knocked to the ground after the police officer ran through the town centre at high speeds and bumped her shoulder. The officer had no idea what had happened and continued chasing the suspected criminal.

Pedestrians came to the aid of the pensioner and called for an ambulance; she was kept in overnight at hospital and released the following day.

Her accident claim was based on the notion that she has lost her confidence in public places, suffers from joint and muscle pain and endures nose bleeds on a daily basis.

In court, the Sheriff said, "In the exercise of his duty as a police constable, he owed a duty of care to the woman. That duty was to take reasonable care.and to avoid exposing her to the risk of injury.

"In the event, the officer breached the duty of care incumbent on him in the circumstances. In the circumstances that existed on that pavement, he ran too fast to avoid striking [the woman] and failed to keep a proper lookout for her."

The Sheriff awarded the pensioner £8,000 for her compensation claim.