Financial ruin after ‘scooter crash on aisle four’
A supermarket worker has been awarded compensation after
damaging her knee in a collision with a disabled shopper, leaving
the culprit unable to keep her home.
In late 2005, 42-year-old Morrisons employee Denise Bird was
operating a flatbed trolley when 61-year-old Gloria Brown ploughed
in to her knee. Ms Brown was shopping for groceries but another
scooter reportedly shunted her into the unsuspecting worker.
Four months later, Ms Bird took the pensioner to County Court
for personal injury compensation. Ms Brown was found liable for the
accident and ordered to pay £5,628 for negligence and £10,129 in
costs, including £3,000 to Morrisons itself.
The court agreed with Ms Bird's allegation that Ms Brown's
scooter was being driven too fast and that she had failed to watch
where she was going.
Speaking this week, Ms Brown said she felt "let down" by the
system and claims she may need to sell her home to finance the
fee.
"It wasn't even my fault, I was hit from behind by another
mobility scooter and there was a shunt,' she said. "Every other
disabled person that needs this mode of transport is in danger of
having the same thing happen to them."
Ms Brown, who suffers from a range of conditions including
osteoarthritis, asked the courts to introduce a monthly fee, in
order to reduce the impact of damages, but the plea was
rejected.
Speaking after the award, Ms Bird's mother, Valerie, sympathised
with the pensioner's plight but added: "Denise is entitled to
something because she was off work for several weeks and still has
a problem with her leg."
The incident comes as the House of Commons is reconsidering the
regulations surrounding mobility scooters, with many people making
calls to insist on training for operators to reduce the number of
accidents involving the disabled.
"Laws need to be changed to help people like myself that do want
to be independent, do want to go shopping and not rely on anybody,"
added Ms Brown.
A separate hearing to address how she should pay her legal bills
is set for May this year.
Source: TLA