A pensioner who sued a coach company after breaking her ankle on a bus has been awarded more than £16,000 by a specialist judge.
Sheila Varney, 66, sued Fife Scottish Omnibuses Ltd, whose parent company is Stagecoach, at the All Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court in Edinburgh.
Mrs Varney was injured after getting on a Perth-bound bus in Holburn Street, Aberdeen, on March 24 2016.
She and her husband were about to travel to Stonehaven for a day out when she fell down emergency steps at the back of the vehicle.
Lawyers for Mrs Varney, whose address has not been disclosed, argued the company did not ensure passengers were aware of the steps.
Her legal team argued the steps were a hazard. However, the court heard Mrs Varney was not paying attention to her immediate surroundings.
In a written judgment issued yesterday, Sheriff Robert Fife concluded the coach company failed to take “reasonable care”.
However, Sheriff Fife also said Mrs Varney contributed to the accident.
He assessed her negligence at being “60%” responsible for the incident.
He said this would have an impact on compensation.
He wrote: “The pursuer failed to exercise reasonable care for her own safety. This was not a case of mere inadvertence on the part of the pursuer.
“The pursuer was paying no attention to the opposite side of the gangway.
“I assess contributory negligence at 60% with the defenders liable for 40%.
“Reducing damages by 60% for contributory negligence, the pursuer is entitled to damages of £16,495.60.”
