Alison Smith, a 48-year-old mother of four from Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, wants compensation after losing seven teeth when she tripped on potholes while walking to meet her daughter in Bonchurch in November 2024.
She was walking in the road because there was no pavement when her foot caught in a pothole and she fell forward. Despite trying to break the fall with her hand, her face struck another pothole, leaving her covered in blood and picking up her own teeth.
What happened
Describing the accident, Alison said: “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.”
The pothole on Shore Road, Bonchurch, was about two to three inches deep and over a foot wide, she said. The next morning, she went to A&E because she feared a fractured cheek and could not move her face, and had X-rays on her wrist. Nothing was broken, but she was in agony for weeks and still cannot use her hand.
Life-changing injuries
Since the accident, Alison has needed physiotherapy and has been unable to lift anything, forcing her to leave her café job. She also had to stop her charitable work, which had seen her raise £400,000 for a food box initiative.
A part-time singer and grandmother of five, she now has false teeth on the top and bottom of her mouth and has stopped singing with two bands. She remains signed off sick because of stress.
Alison 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.”
Compensation claim
Island Roads have since filled the pothole and resurfaced the whole road, but Alison argues it should have been repaired long before her accident. She says the road had been riddled with potholes for years and that people had frequently complained.
She said: “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 response
An Island Roads spokesperson said they had every sympathy for Alison and had investigated the claim, with a formal response issued in April 2025.
The 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 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.
“However, having been brought to our attention, we arranged for the pothole referred to in the claim, along with another nearby pothole, to be repaired as part of our ongoing maintenance programme.
“Every claim is carefully considered on its individual merits, taking account of available evidence and the legal responsibilities of the highway authority and Island Roads as its service provider.
“Having completed our investigation, we concluded that we are unable to accept liability in this case. We appreciate the outcome will be disappointing for Ms Smith, but we have a responsibility to assess all claims consistently.”
