Vodka drinking woman gets $14K award

ABERDEEN, Scotland, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- A Scottish woman who admitted to drinking 14 vodkas as she rang in the new millennium was awarded about $14,000 in damages after she fell from a bridge.

Helen Trueman, 62, sued the Aberdeenshire Council for damages after she tripped over a dilapidated fence, fracturing her spine, The Scotman reported Friday.

Her lawyer had agreed with Aberdeenshire Council that $70,000 was a reasonable estimate for Truman's injuries. But Sheriff Kiernan McLernan ruled that Trueman, of Portlethen, was 80 percent responsible for the accident, reducing her award to $14,000.

When asked about her alcoholic consumption, Trueman reportedly told the doctor treating her after the accident, "I lost count after the 14th vodka."

Taking into account the amount Trueman drank McLernan said, "Her contribution to the accident is very high. I would assess it at 80 percent."