- An 87-year-old woman, Beryl Barrett, died on Christmas Day last year after fracturing her hip in a fall caused by a road defect in Warsop, Nottinghamshire.
- Mrs Barrett's walking frame became caught in a damaged road surface while she was using a pedestrian crossing, leading to her fall and subsequent death from bronchopneumonia.
- Nottingham Coroner’s Court concluded her death was accidental, but found the fall "more than minimally contributed" to her passing.
- Assistant coroner Nathanael Hartley noted that the specific defect causing the fall was not deemed severe enough for repair by inspectors, despite its role in the incident.
- The coroner will issue a prevention of future deaths report, recommending a system to prioritise urgent road repairs, particularly considering vulnerable pedestrians and the lack of specific guidelines for those using walking aids.
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