A Broughty Ferry woman who has been left wheelchair-bound after a fall on an “uneven” pavement has lodged a claim against Angus Council.
Joan Chalmers, 63, was walking along Montrose High Street with a friend when she tripped on flagstone paving.
She fell heavily and suffered a Lisfranc injury — a nasty fracture which has required surgery and the insertion of metal pins in her foot.
The retired commercial underwriter is still recovering at home after the fall in August and is now pursuing the local authority over the incident.
She told the Tele: “It’s been agony. When I fell over I couldn’t get back up again. I was in a huge amount of pain.
“The flagstones are uneven and I caught my left foot and went down.
“I’ve submitted a claim to the council. I’ve already had two months off my feet, and it could take several more months to recover.
“But I don’t know if it will come to anything. I worked in insurance claims so I know how it works.
“It’s been very painful and scary, particularly when I heard I was going to need surgery. The pain was so bad when they took the pins out recently that I needed gas and air.”
Joan has had to use a wheelchair over the past two months, as she was told to remain completely off her feet.
She expects to experience mobility issues for at least four more months.
She added: “You take certain things for granted, until you can’t do them any more.
“It’s been horrendous for me. I don’t think you realise how hard it is until you’ve been in this position.
“I tried to get a temporary Blue Badge but apparently I’m not eligible as I’m not on any benefits and you need to be disabled for one to three years.
“But I’ve got all the letters, crutches, injuries and calloused hands to prove I need one.”
Joan now wants to see changes made to the way the badges are issued.
She added: “I don’t see why there can’t be temporary badges that are valid for a year and then have to be renewed.
“If enough of us get together we can make a difference. Things can be done.”
An Angus Council spokesman confirmed Joan’s claim had been received and passed on to the local authority’s insurers for consideration.