Local council

[NottinghamWhite]

My wife was shopping in Nottingham yesterday and fell over a loose paving slab. She now has a black eye and made a mess of the right side of her face. I contacted the city council yesterday morning but still no response, is that normal practise ? I have to say the accident happened outside Boots & a couple of people helped her into the shop where the staff were brilliant with her. I would have thought in this day & age an automated response would be the least I should expect. Thoughts.

[Selby White]

Hope she is soon fully recoved.

Sadly think all local councils are full of trumped up nobodies and that response is par for the course.
You will need to pester continually to get anything done, always worth writing to the local paper and MP if you hear nothing.

[NottinghamWhite]

Thanks Mick, she was pretty shaken up at the time. I’m just annoyed that my email has had no response not even an acknowledgement. When the Boots staff were looking after her they said they knew exactly where she had tripped.

[Barlow Boy]

I suspect you will be in a long queue of e-mails waiting to receive a response, but as you say some sort of automated reply would at least be some sign of acknowledgement.

The boots staff knowing where she had fallen suggests it’s happened previously, and it needs rectifying ASAP before it happens again.

[NottinghamWhite]

Now 24 hours since I emailed them how long is a reasonable period before contacting them again ?

[hashtagleedsunited]

Sorry to hear about your better half NW.

My advice is to ensure that you get photographs of where it happened, and CLOSE UP photographs of the offending piece of paving.
Take a tape with you, and ensure that it is at least 1 inch sitting proud.
Also, go to the local GP etc and get EVERYTHING documented.

If you want to fasttrack any potential claim, go to your local MP office / council representative.... they will expedite the case much faster than DIY.

Of course, you need to "couch" the claim in the spirit of looking out for others so that it doesnt happen to them, a civilain responsibility type thing.

Good luck

[Deleted User 3289]

I don't want to sound like a Yank. But where there's blame and all that, the accident wouldn't have happened if the paving slab wasn't loose. Working in retail i have been amazed at how much detail someone who wants to make a claim will go into. Lots of Photographic evidence seems to be all the rage. If they have a office nip down and complain in person?

Hope she is on the mend NW.

[ChilwellWhite]

Sorry to read this, there’s some good advice. All the best.

[johnh]

NW, I would send another email saying that if you don't get a response you are putting the matter in the hands of your solicitor. Hope your good lady is feeling better.

[hashtagleedsunited]

I don't want to sound like a Yank. But where there's blame and all that, the accident wouldn't have happened if the paving slab wasn't loose. Working in retail i have been amazed at how much detail someone who wants to make a claim will go into. Lots of Photographic evidence seems to be all the rage. If they have a office nip down and complain in person?

Hope she is on the mend NW.

I do not condone the "claim culture" which has infiltrated society,
however, if there is personal harm / damage caused by poor road maintenance, I say go make it fair and seek some form of compensation
(especially if it should happen to one of our own)

Unfortunately this is a sad indication of todays society, that the burden of proof lies with the person who was unjustly injured.
Besides, this is almost a civic duty, which may result in a faster repair, and avoid any further injuries to other innocent unsuspecting members of the public.

Seek redress.