The whole purpose of manhole covers is to allow access to something below the ground but also to keep the area safe when access is not required. Basically, it stops there being a big hole in the middle of the street, which of course is not going to end well if you walk in to it!
However, some manhole covers can be extremely old and as many are made from metal, over the years, they have rusted and become unstable and consequently lead to serious injuries.
There are three main types of accidents that are caused by manhole covers:
- The manhole cover is weak and therefore collapses when weight is placed upon it (like a humans weight!)
- The manhole cover has been removed for work purposes and proper safeguards have not been put in place to prevent someone walking in to it.
- The manhole cover is raised above the height of the pavement and therefore becomes a serious tripping hazard.
I will address each of these in turn; however, in general the same principles apply to each case- photographs are always helpful and strongly boost the case!!!
Scenario A
The older type of covers (usually circular) are often made of metal and therefore may have decayed and not be as strong as they once were. Therefore when a person walks across this, is it possible that the weight of said person will cause the whole manhole cover to collapse underneath their feet. This can result in serious injury as there are two possible ways in which a person could fall- both feet are on the manhole cover, or just one is causing a possible “splits scenario”. Both of these can be incredibly scary and lead to serious long term injuries not only to a person’s legs but also the torso and arms where people often try and steady a fall. It is also common for people to suffer a great deal of shock from this type of accident and suffer psychologically as well as physically.
Scenario B
This scenario may not be as common as hopefully people working with manholes would be wise enough to not leave the area unsecured- however it could and does happen. By safeguarding the area I refer to things such as barriers (often the bright orange ones) and usually the contractors should create a replacement pathway if the whole of the section of the path is unsecure. If this is not done and you then walk across an area where a manhole cover has been removed, it is possible that you may have a claim if you end up falling and being injured. It’s not so easy to spot a hole in the ground; and most people wouldn’t expect one just to randomly be there!
Scenario C
Injuries with this scenario are usually not as serious as the two above as it does not involve completely falling down a hole. However, tripping is still a shock and the majority of people will of course damage their arms when trying to prevent their face from hitting the floor. In this case we would need photographs of the manhole in question to assess how far the manhole was above normal path level and therefore how much of a tripping hazard it was.
If you have been involved in any of the above scenarios, and sustained injury and loss as a result, it is possible that you have the right to claim compensation to cover both the initial accident but also subsequent losses such as loss of earnings, medical expense and care and assistance.
Contact The Injury Lawyers today for free, no obligation advice by completing the online call back form or alternatively try our live chat feature which will get you chatting to a real person in seconds! Or just call 0800 634 75 75.
