Council ordered to pay £80,000 as man, Colin Shaw, suffers life-changing injuries after being hit by falling lamppost
Glasgow City Council has been ordered to pay £80,000 after being struck by a falling lamppost.
Colin Shaw was left with life-changing injuries after the incident in June 2023.
The council admitted liability at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Thursday.
In a statement released through law firm Digby Brown, Mr Shaw said: “This accident has had a huge impact on my life and I am delighted that a conclusion has now been reached.
“I now request privacy as I continue my recovery and rehabilitation.”
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council apologized for the harm caused to Mr Shaw and said the authority would invest £7.5 million over the coming years to replace outdated and damaged lampposts in the city.
The spokesman said: “We are deeply sorry for this incident and the harm it caused to Mr Shaw. We accept that the lighting column referred to in this incident was not properly inspected.”
“Following this incident, our approach to maintaining the city’s street lighting network has been updated and improved.
“We are now carrying out a more comprehensive risk assessment for lighting columns; a new mapping system has been developed to help us manage the system more effectively and we have also established a dedicated inspection team.
“The council has also allocated an additional £7.5 million to allow for the replacement of lighting columns in the city over the next three years.”
Debbie Carroll, who leads health and safety investigations at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “This incident could easily have been fatal and changed a man’s life irreversibly.
“This situation could have been avoided if the maintenance system in place at the time had been more robust to provide full visual inspection of lighting judged to be in poor condition.
“By failing to do this, Glasgow City Council has exposed the public to unacceptable risk. This investigation should remind duty holders that such failures can have serious consequences and they will be held accountable.”
