A mother who lost seven teeth after she tripped over a pothole in the dark has criticised her ‘shameful’ council for not taking responsibility or paying compensation.
Business owner Alison Smith, 48, said her life changed forever when she was walking to meet her daughter at night and tripped on a three-inch deep pothole in a dark, unlit area.
After tripping on the pothole and smashing her face, Ms Smith lost almost all of her front teeth and suffered from bruising.
In total, she lost seven teeth and now has mobility issues with her left hand meaning she can no longer pull herself up with it.
The road crater was on a road in Ventnor, in Ms Smith’s hometown on the Isle of Wight.
Shore Road has no pavement and a limited number of streetlights, making it hard to see any potholes at night.
Ms Smith said her daughter, who was 17 at the time, was left ‘traumatised’ after finding her mother covered in blood.
She said she was not able to visit her own mother after a brain tumour operation because her injuries were too distressing to see.
Business owner Alison Smith, 48, said her life changed forever when she was walking to meet her daughter at night and tripped on a three-inch deep pothole in a dark, unlit area
Shocking photographs taken after the accident show Ms Smith’s swollen face and how she lost nearly all of her front teeth
Ms Smith, a café owner, reported her fall to Island Roads, which maintains the roads on the Isle of Wight. But the company just filled the pothole in and said there would be no compensation given to her.
Ms Smith tripped into the pothole at 7.40pm in January 2025 and has been demanding the council take responsibility since.
She said: ‘I was going to meet my daughter who was getting the bus and [the road] is lit but it is quite a dark area where the actual pothole is.
‘My mum was suffering with a brain tumour, and she was having the operation that day.
‘I just tripped on the pothole, and my foot got caught in the pothole, in the lip on the edge, and I fell on my hand and knocked all my teeth out.
‘My hand now isn’t fully recovered. I can’t lift myself up on it. I went to A&E because I thought I had smashed my cheekbone.
‘I reported it and had a shameful response. They filled the pothole in within a few days, which says they are liable.’
Ms Smith’s daughter, who is now 19, found her after she had fallen.
Ms Smith said: ‘I was covered in blood and my mouth was bleeding and [my daughter] thought I had been stabbed or attacked. I was totally disorientated.
Ms Smith tripped into the pothole at 7.40pm in January 2025 and has been demanding the council take responsibility since
The pothole was on a road in Ventnor, in Ms Smith’s hometown on the Isle of Wight
‘She still now worries about me. She is traumatised by it. She gave up work for a while because she was always worrying about me.’
She has now had to get extensive dental work at great expense. She had false teeth put in but could not afford to have dental implants put in because she had not received compensation from the fall.
Ms Smith said she temporarily had to give up singing with bands such as Ska’d For Life – but is back in voice after learning to cope with false teeth.
She added that she has a plastic plate on the top and bottom of her mouth, making it difficult to eat.
It has now become impossible for her to work at the Gaslight café in Sandown, which she owned, because she can’t lift the baking trays and furniture with just one hand.
She was also forced to stop a regular food delivery package to the community because of the heavy items on the load.
She said: ‘I’m still so upset about it.
‘Island Roads are saying they’ve done enough and have now filled the pothole in.
Ms Smith said she temporarily had to give up singing with bands such as Ska’d For Life
Ms Smith said her daughter, who was 17 at the time, was left ‘traumatised’ after finding her mother covered in blood
‘But if it caused this much injury to me, old people could have died if they had gone flying like I did.
‘I have considered the “no win no fee” compensation claims, but I have suffered the loss of both my parents in recent years and I have been going through too hard a time.
‘I just want someone to take responsibility for this.
‘I’ve paid the price, and my daughter, who found me all bloodied after the fall, is still traumatised by it.
‘It’s so unfair. Something that was not my fault has ruined my life, while Island Roads has just filled the holes and resurfaced the whole road and dismissed me.
‘It’s not about money, otherwise I would be pursuing a claim. It is to stop others going through this and for some acknowledgement of the distress this has caused and to stop it happening to others.
‘I hope they will take responsibility and help me after all this time.’
An Island Roads spokesman said: ‘We have every sympathy for Ms Smith and for the injuries she has sustained as a result of this incident.
‘A claim relating to this matter was received, fully investigated and a formal response was issued to Ms Smith in April 2025.
‘The road was inspected in October 2024 as part of its routine six-monthly inspection and in line with accepted industry practice.
‘No defects were identified that met the threshold for intervention either at that time or during our investigation following the incident.
‘However, having been brought to our attention, we arranged for the pothole referred to in the claim, along with another nearby pothole, to be repaired as part of our ongoing maintenance programme.
‘Every claim is carefully considered on its individual merits, taking account of available evidence and the legal responsibilities of the highway authority and Island Roads as its service provider.
‘Having completed our investigation, we concluded that we are unable to accept liability in this case.
‘We appreciate the outcome will be disappointing for Ms Smith, but we have a responsibility to assess all claims consistently.’
