Man (76) who broke leg after slip on footpath sues council

A pensioner has told the High Court he broke his leg after slipping on an allegedly badly-repaired footpath while clearing snow and ice from outside a neighbour's house.

William Moran (76) is suing Fingal County Council over the incident which happened on December 8th, 2010, at Sheepmore Grove, Blanchardstown, Dublin.

The council denies liability and says he slipped on ice during the bad winter of 2010/11.

Mr Moran said he had cleared snow from outside his own home and that of an elderly neighbour.

He said he was scattering salt to melt the ice when he tripped on an uneven pathway outside the neighbour’s house.

He said the pathway was left in that condition as a result of footpath repairs carried out some years earlier on behalf of the council.

He suffered a double fracture to his left leg and required surgery in which plates and screws were inserted into his leg.

He was on crutches for more than seven months and still suffers pain, particularly when it is cold, he said.

Under cross-examination by Colm Power Condon SC, for the council, Mr Moran denied the ground was extremely slippery, saying he had removed 90 per cent of the snow and ice by the time the accident happened.

He did not know why medical staff in the hospital where he was treated had noted he told them he had “slipped on ice”.

The case resumes next week.