The local government board of Torrevieja has assumed responsibility for paying 7,052 euro in compensation to a woman who suffered multiple fractures and injuries after falling on a beach walkway. The accident occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. on 17th May, 2023, when the woman tripped on a wooden plank in poor condition on an access route leading to La Mata beach. The woman originally filed a claim for 34,000 euro.
The fall took place directly in front of the Red Cross station on the beach. Local Police officers who attended the scene noted a distinct unevenness in the wooden planks. The injured pedestrian was taken by ambulance to a private hospital, where she was treated for a subarachnoid haemorrhage, a fracture of the right orbital floor, a fracture of the humerus, and trauma to both her hip and knee.
A municipal planning report acknowledged a direct link between the poor state of maintenance and the accident, noting that the footbridge failed to meet the standards for an accessible route due to uneven surfaces and loose elements. The file was submitted to the Consell Jurídic Consultiu for review. The advisory body determined that responsibility should be shared equally between the local authority and the pedestrian, concluding that the defect was visible and could have been avoided with greater care. Consequently, the municipal liability was reduced to 50% of the 14,104 euro injury valuation, resulting in the final 7,052.24 euro award.
The council’s multinational insurance company, which handles claims exceeding 3,000 euro, strongly contested the decision and refused to pay. The insurer argued that there was insufficient proof that the defect caused the fall, and claimed that accidents must be directly witnessed by local police officers to be considered credible. The advisory body rejected the insurer’s stance but criticised Torrevieja City Council for an unjustified delay in processing the case, which was filed on 8th January, 2024, but did not receive a proposed municipal resolution until 15th October, 2025.
Federico Alarcón, the Local Police Councillor and Secretary of the Governing Board, announced the resolution, which can still be appealed through the Administrative Court. The entire pedestrian access to La Mata beach has since been renovated in 2024 following a multi-million euro investment. The old wooden planks, originally installed in the early 2000s and severely deteriorated by the marine environment, were completely removed and replaced with a stable, level engineered wood walkway.
While the City Council processes dozens of claims every year for falls on public roads caused by damaged pavements, tree branches, or detached street furniture, the vast majority are rejected by municipal reports blaming the claimant, leading most victims to abandon their cases.
