Councils foot the bill as the public trip
It has been revealed by no win no fee solicitors that Greater Manchester council had to fork out thousands in compensation last year for injury claims made by the public.
Such trip and slip lawsuits has meant that local councils in the region have had to shell out over £7.4 million in 2008.
Stockport, Oldham and Salford councils took the brunt of the claims and were forced to pay out more than £1m after individuals filed damages for injuries suffered after they tripped on potholes and pavements. Salford spent £1.78m on compensation – the equivalent of a council tax increase of nearly 2 per cent.
It has also been revealed that town halls are racking up huge legal bills defending themselves in disputed claim cases too.
Trips claims
The largest individual claim last year was paid out by Bolton council, who wrote a cheque for £66,000 to a woman who received personal injuries after she fell over a sunken grid.
In other claims, Trafford council spent £130,000 in 2003 when fighting a court case involving a woman who tripped on a pavement in Urmston. She was awarded £56,916.
In 2004, Salford paid out £33,000 to a man who fell down a pothole and also received injuries. One on-going claim against Stockport has dragged on since 2004 and has so far cost £160,000.
A 35-year-old mum-of-three from Blackley, suing Manchester city council over a broken pavement, has been in plaster for three months with a fractured arm. She said: “I’m on my own with a mortgage so it was incredibly hard when I couldn’t work. I missed two mortgage payments and had to cancel our first holiday in four years.”
As a result, in an attempt to reduce compensation claims, a number of councils have been cracking down on quick pay-outs in recent years after a rise in claims. They have also increased the amount they are spending on road repairs.
Salford council said their compensation bill last year was a drastic reduction from the nearly £4m paid out in 2005. Eight formerly unemployed residents are starting new jobs helping to repair potholes. A Stockport council spokesman said: “We have seen footway conditions improved across the borough to address these claims.”
Personal injury lawyer Michael Hardacre, said compensation is necessary for victims, as it helps them financially:“Judges are very good at seeing through fraudulent or spurious claims. The reality is these payouts are to people who have had serious injuries which they have taken a long time to recover from.”
The report by the local councils displayed the worst hit areas for claims. The council figures are as follows: Salford £1.78m; Stockport £1.58m; Oldham £1.438m; Trafford £894,009; Bolton £804,124; Manchester £470,781.94; Wigan £426,000; Tameside £221,055; Rochdale £85,431 and Bury £78,578.
Injury lawyers have urged all councils to take the necessary steps to keep the public safe from injury; otherwise they could face an even bigger surge in compensation claims in the very near future.
Updated on 11/26/2009