Alison Smith, 48, was walking on the side of a road with no pavement on the Isle of Wight when her foot got caught in a deep pothole. The mother of four fell face first, knocking out seven teeth as her head slammed into the ground.
The accident happened last November while she was walking to meet her daughter. She said she was left with long-term, devastating injuries, and has since been unable to work.
Life-changing consequences
Over a year on, Alison still cannot use her hand, has fake teeth, and is signed off sick because of the stress of everything. She left her café job as she is unable to lift anything, and has been having physiotherapy.
She said: "It is now over a year later and it is still causing me to not be able to do the things that I used to do. It impacted everything really. I am still now signed off sick because of the stress of everything."
"I still can't eat the things I used to eat. I had to relearn how to sing with these fake teeth. It did shake me up. It changed my confidence for a while. I did have to spend time going out in public and carrying on with my life with no teeth."
No one held to account
Alison says she is angry that nobody has taken responsibility for the fall, and wants compensation for the distress and lost work. She also claims the road had been riddled with potholes for a long time and should have been repaired before her accident.
"My foot got caught in the pothole and I fell forward using my hand to try and save me. My face went into another pothole which is why I lost so many teeth. It was horrendous. I was on the floor with blood everywhere trying to pick up my teeth. My daughter walked round because she heard me crying. I was just very shook up and slightly dizzy. I was very upset. It was sore for a good few weeks," she said.
She added: "The road has been like that for many years. Lots of people have complained about that road. We were always careful and it was just unlucky that I happened to trip in it. They have basically said that it is not their liability and there is nothing they will do. If it had been my mum or any other elderly person it could have caused death. I just think it is absolutely disgusting. I would like them to admit liability and I think I should be entitled to compensation for the amount of work I have lost and the fact that my hand doesn't work at all."
Island Roads statement
Island Roads has since filled the pothole and resurfaced the whole road. A spokesperson said: "We have every sympathy for Ms Smith and for the injuries she has sustained as a result of this incident. A claim relating to this matter was received, fully investigated and a formal response was issued to Ms Smith in April 2025."
The spokesperson added: "The road was inspected in October 2024 as part of its routine six-monthly inspection and in line with accepted industry practice. No defects were identified that met the threshold for intervention either at that time or during our investigation following the incident."
