Woman Awarded $1.14M For Sidewalk Fall

ATLANTA — A Norcross woman will receive $1.14 million in damages after falling on a sidewalk that need work done. A Fulton County jury handed down the verdict Friday.

"The long and the short of it is, I've been in a boot for quite some time," the victim, Miriam Hancock, told Channel 2's George Howell.

The incident happened May 31, 2007. Hancock was crossing the crosswalk at Prior Street and Upper Alabama near Underground Atlanta when she stepped into some shattered pavement. She said it was like being caught in a bear trap.

"I went forward, and my leg and shoe stayed behind me," she said.

She said she fell in the street with her leg and shoe still planted and came close to being hit by a truck.

"There was a UPS truck that luckily decided not to run over me when he realized I never came up," she said laughing.

Six ankle surgeries later, Hancock finally had her leg bone and ankle fused together in October, but the fix hasn't solved everything. She said being banned from high heels has taken its toll.

"When you get dressed and go to work for the past three and a half years and not be able to be as professional as you would like to feel has been tough," she said. "You try to keep smiling."

The millions in damages for lost earnings and suffering has given her a reason to smile. And she hopes the city of Atlanta learns from what happened to her.

"Instead of the pedestrian having to be so cautious, the city just needs to take some time to inspect the streets that they require people to walk on," Hancock said.

WSBTV