Dog walker awarded damages from rollerblading pensioner
A ninety year old pensioner has been ordered to pay £6,000 compensation to a dog walker after crashing into him and injuring his neck, back and legs, while roller skating in the park.
Oliver Galsworthy admitted the accident but denied liability stating that both the dog and the unnamed walker had run into his path as he roller skated down a little-used track, and it was only by chance that he missed injuring the dog as well.
However several eye witnesses confirmed the dog walker’s account that Mr Galsworthy was out of control and veered across the track into the injured party, knocking him off his feet.
Mr Galsworthy’s defence lawyer argued that liability should be on a 50/50 basis, and that his client, who lives in sheltered accommodation, survives solely on the state pension of £97 a week plus pension credit.
The judge ruled in favour of the dog walker, awarding him the damages for personal injury and loss of earnings, but conceded that the money could be paid at an amount of £5 a week as Mr Galsworthy has no savings or investments and gets by on a state pension. The judge also suggested that Mr Galsworthy should perhaps give up roller skating in the future to avoid any further personal injury claims against him.
Mr Galsworthy, who suffered minor injuries in the incident, plans to appeal against the ruling.
I would be honored to have a 90-year-old man hip-check me off the sidewalk. I suppose some folks would rather he be languishing in a hospital bed somewhere, waiting to die. Rollerblade should endorse him…and give him a boat load of cash so that he can payoff the extortionists.