A great-grandmother is suing after suffering a broken hip and memory loss caused by falling through the emergency exit of a moving bus in Dundee.
Mary Hamilton was on a Citylink coach bound for Glasgow when she plunged through the door near the back of the bus while travelling around a roundabout next to the old Olympia swimming pool.
The 59-year-old, who lives in the city’s Hilltown, was rushed to hospital with a broken hip, which required bolts to fix.
She still has a scar from the surgery, ongoing mobility problems and memory loss, which she thinks may be due to hitting her head on concrete at the time.
Mary is now taking legal action against Fife Scottish Omnibuses Ltd and Rennies of Dunfermline Ltd, which was operating the vehicle at the time of the incident on September 3 2012.
But a representative for the company said it is disputing liability for her injuries.
If she does win her case, Mary could receive more than £5,000 in compensation.
Recalling the incident, Mary said: “I remember a gentleman from Glasgow was talking about telephones and he asked me if I would like to sit at the window and I said ‘yes please’.
“So I was sat there and I remember we were going round the roundabout by the swimming pool and then suddenly I landed on the ground outside.
“Before the accident I was able to get about, but now I can’t in the same way I used to.”
Her son, Eddie Kelbie, 40, said the consequences of what happened had ruined his mum’s life.
He said: “Mum’s got pains going down one part of her leg. She can only really remember landing in the middle of the road. She’s lost a lot of her memory since the fall.
“I feel like I’ve lost a part of my mum, she isn’t like what she used to be and she’s getting worse and worse.
“She can’t go on a bus any more as she panics.
“I have to come and visit her every day to make sure she has got what she needs and she is all right.”
Mary’s case called at the Court of Session in Edinburgh for the first time on Tuesday.
A spokeswoman for Fife Scottish Omnibuses Ltd confirmed they would be fighting the action.
She said: “We dispute liability in this case and the matter is with our legal team. As proceedings are ongoing, we would not provide any other information at this time.”