A man who claimed to have “ten out of ten” pain after hitting a pothole has been found “fundamentally dishonest” in court. He has now received a £10,000 bill to cover Flintshire Council’s legal costs for fighting the claim.
Mike Farron had tried to sue the local authority, claiming that a pothole in a road near his home had caused him to trip and fall while crossing the road in February 2021. However, an investigation into the alleged incident revealed that he had given differing accounts of the fall in various documents related to the injury lawsuit. Farron claimed that his accident occurred at 6 p.m., but when he was examined by a medical expert, he told them that the fall occurred at 10 a.m.
Despite stating that he was suffering from severe “ten out of ten” pain in his ankle as a result of the alleged fall, Farron did not seek medical treatment either at the hospital or his local doctor. He had sought treatment from his local doctor in the months after the alleged fall, but not once was an ankle injury mentioned according to the medical records.
Flintshire Council admitted fault for the pothole in the road surface, but did not accept that this caused the pedestrian to fall. They denied the claim for compensation and asked Mr. Farron to prove that the accident occurred as alleged, or at all, before considering any further action.
Not content with that response, Mr Farron then started legal proceedings against Flintshire Council and attempted to sue the authority over the alleged incident. The council instructed lawyers to defend the claim and presented details to the court that contradicted the “evidence” presented by Mr. Farron through his representatives.
The matter was due to be heard at trial in January 2023, but three days before the case was due to go to court, Farron withdrew his claim without explanation. The council had been forced to defend a claim they considered fabricated.
Not content to leave things at that, officials petitioned the court on behalf of Flintshire Council for an order that Farron reimburse his legal fees. District Judge Roberts at that hearing found the claim to be “fundamentally dishonest.”
Flintshire County Council is ready to recover all legal costs it incurred in defending the personal injury claim after the presiding judge ordered Farron to pay local authority legal costs in the amount of £10,000. After the hearing, a Flintshire Council spokesman said: “This result tells everyone that the council, its insurers and legal representatives will not tolerate any attempt to claim public money dishonestly.”