Cycling Solicitor

[Tamar]

I think there was a recent post that recommended a good solicitor...but I can't recall which thread it was in. A colleague of mine is having difficulty with the local council who are denying responsibility for the humungous pothole that she hit in the rain on her brompton a few months back - causing concussion and pretty nasty facial injuries - lost teeth, lots of stitches etc.

Can anyone recommend good cycling legal advice?

Thanks
Tamar

[Ivor]

Not the answer you want about the solicitor but make sure to get lots of photos of the pothole before it's fixed. Preferably include a shot showing the size/scale/depth.
I did this a (long time ago) when a particularly large one took out the wheel of my university car (I kid you not) I took a picture of the car with the wheel parked in the hole showing just how deep it was.
Had no trouble claiming off the council when I sent them a letter with the picture.

[Tamar]

Thanks

[adrian]

The whole pothole/responsibility issue is well dodgy, apparently.

Three years ago I broke my wrist after hitting a pothole on Clapham Common. A firm of solicitors I engaged told me that in order to meet their obligation to the road user, councils only have to show that they go round and do a maintenance inspection of the roads every six months or so - so it wasn't worth pursuing.

I would mention the firm's name but it took about a year of regular badgering and cajoling on my part for them to tell me this, and I wouldn't recommend them.

Sorry I can't help but I hope your friend has more luck.

[Andrew G]

[url]http://www.cycleaid.co.uk/site/home/[/url]
Don't know what they are like but there was some stuff from them with the start sheets for the sporting SCCU weekend.

[Amy]

After the event I know but the CTC's [url]http://www.fillthathole.org.uk/[/url] may have had the hole reported already so that your colleague can point and say it had been reported but nothing done about it.