Irene Cope, of Compton Place Road, hit her head on a concrete wall after tripping over a stopcock cover which she said had not been properly closed.
It is not the first time Mrs Cope had suffered a serious injury when falling over on the streets of Eastbourne - in 2003, she broke her leg after tripping over a proud paving stone near the Saffrons.
She is so concerned about the state of some of the town's pavements that she sent the Herald a picture (left) of her recent injuries.
Mrs Cope said when she came to Eastbourne in March 2002, aged 74, she was able to run, but since the first fall has suffered continual pain in her right hip.
She said of the first accident, "I was walking along Meads Road in the dark beside the wall of the Saffrons pushing my four-wheeled trolley when, at the narrowest part of the path, I heard someone coming up behind me pushing a bicycle.
"I stepped aside to let them pass and, as I moved my right leg to the right, my foot struck a paving stone which was standing proud.
"I fell, breaking my right femur, since when I have not been able to run and have had continual severe pain in my right hip.
"I was in the District General Hospital for less than a week but I was horrified at the number of ladies who were admitted to the ward where I was with pavement-related injuries."
Mrs Cope's second fall came last November as she walked from her car to the door of the Winter Garden.
She said, "I tripped over a stopcock cover which was not properly closed and crashed to the ground, striking my head against the concrete wall adjacent to the entrance door on the left of the building.
"Not only was the cover not properly closed, but the frame was standing proud of the brick pavement.
"I had to have 15 stitches in the main wound in my forehead as well as two other gashes glued down. There was blood everywhere."
Mrs Cope added, "My wish is that whoever maintains the pavements in Eastbourne should make a New Year's resolution to make them safe for their citizens to walk on by day or night."
East Sussex County Council, which looks after local pavements, promised
to investigate Mrs Cope's accident.
A spokesperson told the Herald, "We are very sorry to hear about Mrs Cope's fall and hope that she makes a speedy recovery.
"If Mrs Cope or a family member or friend can give us details of the incident we will investigate.
"Pedestrian safety is extremely important to us and we are working hard to ensure our limited resources are used wisely when we carry out repair work.
"Keeping track of damaged pavements is a big task so we are grateful to members of the public who let us know about any problems. You can call your local highway office or report a problem online at www.eastsussex.gov.uk."
An Age Concern Eastbourne spokesperson added, "We are very sorry to hear that Mrs Cope suffered such injuries.
"In any area such as Eastbourne, where there is a high percentage of retired people it's important that the pavements are maintained to the necessary standards."