A Fife schoolboy badly injured when a heavy lamp post collapsed on him outside a restaurant has been awarded compensation.
The 11-year-old received a four-figure sum from the owners of Home Farm View in Kirkcaldy, following last year’s Mother’s Day accident.
The Dunfermline youngster, who was 10 at the time, had been playing with his sister, running around the cast iron lamp post when it suddenly snapped and collapsed onto his leg.
His father, who has asked to remain anonymous, said his son would have been killed if the lighting infrastructure had landed on his head.
This week’s compensation award came after they pursued a case through personal injury firm Watermans Solicitors.
Home Farm View said they had sought to resolve the matter as soon as possible to minimise further distress and had taken steps to ensure there was no repeat of the incident.
The boy’s 39-year-old dad said: “We had been out for a meal at Home Farm View restaurant in Kirkcaldy.
“There were two really old-fashioned-style lamp posts just outside the restaurant and both were heavy cast iron.
“My son and daughter were outside playing, running around these lamp posts, just as kids do.
“As they passed each other, the one my daughter went round first just collapsed and landed on my son.
“It was terrifying. It trapped him and the only reason I managed to lift it off him was pure adrenaline, I believe.
“It took three people from the restaurant to be able to move the lamp post.”
The boy was taken to hospital where he was found to have a severely bruised bone and tissue damage. He was left badly shaken by his ordeal.
“It was a very worrying incident but we are lucky that the consequences weren’t far worse,” his father said.
Solicitor Aimee Elder said the case had been complex as, outwardly, the lamp post had appeared to be in good repair.
“No parent should have to watch their child suffer in this way and I’m pleased that Waterman’s have been able to assist the family,” she said.
A spokesperson for Home Farm View said: “We are relieved the young boy involved has recovered and send him our very best wishes.
“We accepted liability and sought to resolve this legal claim as soon as possible to minimise any further distress.
“This was an extremely unusual incident and we’ve taken steps to ensure it won’t happen again.”
