Ventnor Woman Suffers Severe Injuries, Island Roads Denies Liability for Pothole Fall

Ms. Smith lost seven teeth and suffered mobility issues with her left hand following the incident. She recounted the immediate aftermath: "I was on the floor with blood everywhere trying to pick up my teeth."

Her daughter discovered her covered in blood. Ms. Smith claims this experience left her daughter "traumatised."

The pothole, approximately three inches deep, was located on Shore Road in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. This thoroughfare is known for its lack of pavement and limited streetlights.

Ms. Smith walked in the road due to the absence of a pavement. Her foot caught in one pothole, causing her to fall face-first into another.

She explained, My foot got caught in the pothole and I fell forward using my hand to try to save me. My face went into another pothole which is why I lost so many teeth.

Island Roads investigated the claim and concluded they are unable to accept liability for the incident. A spokesman stated, "We have every sympathy for Ms. Smith and for the injuries she has sustained as a result of this incident."

The spokesman further noted that a claim relating to this matter was received, fully investigated. A formal response was issued to Ms. Smith in April 2025.

Island Roads claims no defects meeting the threshold for intervention were identified during their routine inspection in October 2024.

The spokesman confirmed, "The road was inspected in October 2024 as part of its routine six-monthly inspection and in line with accepted industry practice. No defects were identified that met the threshold for intervention either at that time or during our investigation following the incident."

Despite this official stance, Ms. Smith reported the incident. The council filled the pothole within a few days, along with another nearby.

An Island Roads spokesman confirmed this action. He stated, "However, having been brought to our attention, we arranged for the pothole referred to in the claim, along with another nearby pothole, to be repaired as part of our ongoing maintenance programme."

Ms. Smith claims the road had been riddled with potholes for a long time and should have been fixed before her accident. She asserted, "The road has been like that for many years. Lots of people have complained about that road."

The injuries forced Ms. Smith to stop her café job at Gaslight café in Sandown. She also ceased her charitable work, which included raising £400,000 for a food box initiative.

She claims she can no longer work at the café due to her hand injury. The incident has had a lasting impact on her life, she explained: "It is now over a year later and it is still causing me to not be able to do the things that I used to do. It impacted everything really."

She continues to be signed off sick due to the stress. She has had to relearn how to sing with her new teeth, stating, "It did shake me up. It changed my confidence for a while."

Ms. Smith has criticised the council, claiming they are "shameful" for not taking responsibility or offering compensation. She stated, "They have basically said that it is not their liability and there is nothing they will do."

Ms. Smith believes she should be entitled to compensation for her lost work and the permanent injury to her hand. She asserted, "I would like them to admit liability and I think I should be entitled to compensation for the amount of work I have lost and the fact that my hand doesn’t work at all."

She concluded, "If it had been my mum or any other elderly person it could have caused death. I just think it is absolutely disgusting."