OAP left housebound after scooter hit by council truck

Jul 29 2010 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

A PENSIONER says she has been left housebound after a council truck reversed into her scooter.

Nancy Smith’s mobility scooter was hit by a street cleaning truck as she made her way across Millgate in Winchburgh.

The 74-year-old was making her way to the shops when she was forced to leave the pavement because equipment being used to repair the road was blocking it.

And the grandmother of five was left terrified when the truck reversed towards her and clipped her scooter.

“I thought I was going to die,” Nancy said. “I couldn’t believe it when he kept coming towards me.

“There was a roller in the middle of the pavement and I was trying to cross the road to get to the pavement on the other side.

“The truck hit the front of the scooter and luckily it stopped. The driver got out and told me he thought he had run over a crisp packet.

“It caused a lot of damage to the scooter and it can’t move now. I also got shook up and had injuries to my neck and foot.”

Nancy put her claim against the council into the hands of law firm Quantum Claims.

But despite the council immediately admitting liability the pensioner, who has problems walking due to a broken hip suffered in a fall three years ago, has been left stuck in her home for a month without a replacement scooter to get around on.

She added: “When this happened the man from the council promised me I would have a new scooter the next day.

“I know he probably shouldn’t have said that but you would have thought I would have one by now. But here I am, nearly a month later, and I am still housebound.

“Thankfully since the Courier got involved it looks like I am going to get a hire scooter till it is sorted out.

“I am looking forward to getting it but I am a bit shaky about going out on it again.

“It takes you a lot of time to get over something like this.”

A West Lothian Council spokesman said the council had apologised for the “unfortunate accident.”

He said the delay in getting the claim resolved was because the firm representing her had not given them an estimated cost of repair.

He added: “Ms Smith’s claim is being handled by Quantum Claims, who are acting on her behalf as her legal agents.

“On July 22, our insurer asked Quantum Claims for a repair estimate for Ms Smith’s mobility scooter, which they have not yet supplied.

“This has resulted in a delay in processing Ms Smith’s claim.

“However, once our insurers have received the repair estimate from Quantum Claims they will be able to process the claim as quickly as possible.”

A spokesman for Quantum Claims said their engineers were looking at the scooter to establish whether it could be repaired or not and hoped the matter would be resolved soon.