Senior citizen awaits compensation from City Hall after falling into manhole

Jun 04, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Almost two years after falling into a city manhole at Haley Street, and almost five months after a High Court Judge ruled that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) was responsible for the mishap, 71-year Patricia Lambert is still to receive the compensation that is owed to her.
The elderly Lambert broke two toes as a result of the mishap. She took City Hall to court and won a judgment of G$400,000. However, the city managers are still to compensate the woman and her lawyer is seriously criticizing the delivery of service that has contributed to the delay in payment.

Patricia Lambert’s husband Patrick Lambert stands over the manhole she fell into

Attorney –at-law Leslie Sobers told the Kaieteur News that the judgment against City Hall was announced since February 25 last when the matter was called before Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln. According to him, on February 6, 2020 around 7:30 p.m. Lambert was walking along the sidewalk on Haley Street, headed to the Salvation Army’s Senior Ladies Retirement home when she fell into one of the open manholes. He explained that the street was dark as it did not have street lights which caused Lambert to mistakenly step into the open space.
The matter against the Town Clerk, the Mayor and City Councilors was decided upon and the compensation was stated. Sobers said that in honouring the court’s decision City Hall asked that the compensation cheque be uplifted on April 14 last. However, when the lawyer visited the city office, he said he was unable to get the money for his client. Having been asked to return to the establishment, Sobers said he was told at that time that Lambert’s name was misspent and that he should return a week later. The lawyer explained further that he did not return on the day he was told to uplift the cheque, but called the municipality the following day only to be told that the company was now in the process of preparing the payment.
Sobers has expressed great disappointment with the service received from the municipality. “This is an elderly woman we are talking about here. She broke her toes and need the money.” After announcing that a simple change had to be made, the lawyer said he is bewildered as to why the municipality is now saying they are dealing with this matter. “Were they not telling the truth in the beginning?” he questioned.
Sobers further lambasted the City Council stating that as someone who frequented Haley street, he was aware that eight months into the case, the manholes on Haley Street were still uncovered. Up to the time of the judgment, he said those manholes had still not been secured. “This is uncaring,” the lawyer claimed. He nonetheless called on the municipality to speedily honour the compensation for the senior citizen.