Queensland council ordered to pay $675,000 after cyclist’s eye injury
A Queensland appeals court ruled that Brisbane City Council must pay $675,000 to Victor Dennison, who lost an eye when he struck a metal stake left on a roadwork site.
On a December morning in 2009, cyclist Victor Dennison collided with a makeshift plastic mesh barrier on Zillmere Road, Aspley, which was connected to an unprotected metal stake. The impact destroyed his eye and caused a traumatic brain injury. Although the council had placed orange cones, they were stolen, and no reflective signage or lighting was provided despite a nearby street light being out.
The original trial judge ruled the council not liable, but the Queensland Court of Appeal reversed that decision, stating the council should have taken more reasonable precautions. Justice Shane Doyle highlighted that the danger was plainly foreseeable and that the council’s actions were unreasonable under the Civil Liability Act. Consequently, Brisbane City Council must pay $675,000, interest, and court costs to Dennison, now in his 80s and represented by his wife Juthika Dennison.
Why it matters
The ruling underscores municipal responsibility for public safety during roadworks and may affect future liability standards.
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