Woman files claim for sewage accident
It has been revealed that a 52-year-old woman is filing a compensation claim concerning a fall she suffered from in the summer of 2006. personal injury claim suit has been filed against a water company and focuses on her fall, due to a slippery piece of algae.
The incident happened after she was plagued by floods and a dangerous gas leak at her home.
Therefore the accident claim looks at how her slip injury happened because of the water, sewage and gas leaks under her house. Cracks in the water and gas mains to her property were created by pressure as a result of a burst sewage pipe.
In the accident the victim injured her back and arm and is now battling a series of infections. Due to the incident she has been out of work since last November, and is alleging that the firm did not do enough to protect the public, despite numerous complaints.
The claimant stated: “I had to put up with being flooded three times, and then evacuated because of the gas leak….I’m now living in rented accommodation…because my house is being worked on to repair it from all the damage that happened during the floods.”
She added: “It’s been horrendous. When I fell I ruptured three discs, and from the build-up of sewage I got an ulcer in my stomach, and then the infection spread to my gall bladder, which I’ve had to have removed.”
Claims against Severn Trent
In similar news, it has emerged that Gloucestershire residents who were denied a mains supply of water during a flooding incident should be entitled to compensation, according to experts.
In 2007 terrible flooding affected many homeowners in the county, but they were stopped from having a mains supply of water. Therefore, some experts believe that Severn Trent authority should hand out £23.5million worth of claims.
However, in a controversial move, the authority gave £3.5 million in a donation to flood relief and argued that payouts were not warranted because the floods were not an event which could have been predicted. Regulator Ofwat supported the service, thus enraging the public.
A parliamentary investigation into the matter found Ofwat and Severn Trent in total agreement. The water authority has a legal duty to provide consumers with water that is drinkable, but the regulator insisted this did not apply to circumstances in which delivery of the water was prevented by horrific weather conditions.
A spokesperson for Severn Trent stated: “We decided that we wanted to make a substantial contribution to the community’s recovery after the floods, and we therefore donated £3.5 million to a flood recovery fund.”
Despite the authority stating the claims are invalid, the case continues.
Updated on 14/06/2010