A woman has been awarded £2,602 in compensation for an injury she suffered whilst travelling on a bus.

The woman was the only passenger on the bus when the accident occurred. She was seated in the first row of seats behind the driver. She noticed that he was travelling too close to the car in front. When the car stopped suddenly, the bus driver had to slam on the brakes. The woman was thrown forward and fell against an upholstered pillar.

The bus company denied liability, saying that the driver had braked suddenly in order to avoid a pedestrian who had walked out in front of the bus.

The claimant, meanwhile, argued that she had not seen any pedestrian and it was negligence on the part of the driver that had been the cause of the accident.

When the case came to court the bus company's report log was examined. It contained no mention of a pedestrian and supported the claimant's version of events. The driver was also unable to give a description of the pedestrian he had claimed he was trying to avoid. The judge found for the claimant and she was awarded £2,602 in compensation.