When the red man on the traffic lights was not working Harris Fowler came to the rescue.

Our Client was a pedestrian who had approached a road to cross at a pedestrian crossing. As he approached our client believed that there was a green man on the crossing lights indicating that it was safe for him to cross.

The Claimant did not notice a car driving towards the crossing and continued to make his way into the road. The car failed to stop and collided with our client  Our client was taken to hospital by ambulance and needed an operation to put pins into his leg.

Our client asked us for advice although he was  was unable to remember exactly what happened in the accident other than him walking towards the crossing, believing he saw a green man and walking into the road. The next thing he could remember was waking up in hospital.

The police did not take any further action against the driver of the car and their report said that the Claimant had walked into the side of the Defendant's car. However it also said that the red man on the pedestrian crossing was not working.

One firm of solicitors had already advised the Claimant that they would not pursue the case. However, we believed that we could be successful and arranged for further investigation of the case and in particular the state of the traffic lights at the time.

As a result of these investigations we obtained evidence from a man who lived on the road where the accident happened about the crossing lights. He advised that the red man had not been working, that he had reported this to his local authority and the highway authority prior to the accident and was told they would be fixed in due course. He also confirmed that he had checked the lights after the accident and the red man was still not working.

Initially both the driver and the Highway Authority denied liability but following negotiations, including the evidence we had collected about the faulty lights, their insurers put forward an offer to settle our Client’s claim.