A man who had to give up his job as a refuse collector after being injured in a fall has been awarded compensation for the accident.
Alan Shambrook, 55, was collecting rubbish in July 2005 when he tripped over a damaged section of the footpath in Stevanage.
He badly hurt his shoulder and elbow, as well as his left knee. The victim had to take 15 months off work and was forced to change jobs because he cannot lift his arms above his head.
"The injury has been painful and changed my life dramatically," Mr Shambrook commented.
He took legal action against Hertfordshire County Council for not maintaining the pavement properly and has now been awarded £57,000 in compensation.
Local councils are responsible for keeping their footpaths and roads in safe order and regular checks must be carried out by officials to make sure of this.
Anyone who has been injured on a section of pavement that has not been checked may be eligible to make a claim for compensation.
