Deputy Lord Mayor of Sheffield making a PI claim ?

The local papers in Sheffield are reporting this week that the Deputy Lord Mayor is making a personal injury claim against a Tenant’s Association. Is there any reason why he shouldn’t ? Do you think the image of ambulance chasing lawyers creates an incorrect perception  and that there is no reason why a claim should not be made, whether by a senior establishment figure or anybody else ?

Apparently, the injury was suffered when the Deputy Lord Mayor sat on a chair which collapsed under his weight. IT is not known whether the Deputy Lord Mayor is a particularly large or heavy individual and this is perhaps an unusual claim in that sense. Whilst a duty of care would have ben oweed under the Occupier’s Liability Act, unless there wqas soenthing wrong with tha chair which was or ought to have been known to the Occupiers, it is far from certyain the claim would succeed at trial.

The Deputy mayor, who will take over from the current Lord Mayor in the next few months declined to comment on the basis that the matter is with his legal team.