Walker sues over witch’s hat trip

AN INTENSIVE care nurse who claims she was injured when she tripped on a witch’s hat while walking with hundreds of others in a breast cancer charity fundraiser is suing event organisers.

Claire Elaine Fowler, 63, claims the 45cm-high vibrant orange witch’s hat was badly placed and obscured from sight by hundreds of people in brightly coloured clothing.

The witch’s hat was supposed to separate walkers travelling in each direction, but was ineffective because of its size and placement in the centre of a road, her District Court claim says.

Ms Fowler was participating in the annual Mother’s Day Classic walk to raise money for breast cancer research on May 10, 2015, along Riverside Dve, West End.

About 10,000 people walked or ran in the event and Ms Fowler claims she was in a group of hundreds of people moving in one direction when she tripped on the witch’s hat.

She fell and suffered a dislocated shoulder, fractured right humerus and fractured left patella, her claim says.

At the event, Ms Fowler was in a group moving forwards, backwards and sideways, intermingling and looking at various attractions.

Organisers intended for that to occur, as part of the culture of the event, the claim says. Ms Fowler was talking to other walkers and not looking directly in front of her when she tripped. There should have been no physical barrier, or if there was it should have been bollards or solid barriers of at least a metre high, it is alleged.

Ms Fowler is seeking more than $590,000 in damages.

She is suing Event Management Solutions and organisers, Women in Super Mother’s Day Classic Foundation Limited. They are yet to respond to the claim