Compensation culture condemned by councils
People who trip and fall on the streets of Manchester are being given hefty pay outs. Millions of pounds are being paid out in legal proceedings following accident claims which are filed by those living in Manchester.
Accident claims have cost the council £5 million pounds of tax payer’s money in the past 8 years and last year Salford Council paid out £1.7 million pounds in damages. In a recent Evening News article Graham Stringer, the Manchester Blackley MP, spoke out against what he called `a growing
compensation culture'.
"I have absolutely no doubt that Manchester, like any major city, faces a number of claims that are simply fraudulent. Manchester is not unique in facing these problems.” Stringer said. “It is part of a growing compensation culture. There is something offensive about the way some companies tout for business." Accident claims in the city are on the increase and the majority of the claims which the council faces are ‘trip-and-slip’ injuries which claimants say are due to the council not maintaining roads and pavements.
Usually the claimants get a large lump sum intended to cover loss of earnings. Examples cited include: “£23,000 for a trip-and-slip incident in Clee Avenue, Longsight, in 2005, that resulted in a fractured arm” and “£19,550 for a similar ankle injury sustained in Heaton Park in 2002” which was only settled this year. Comparable payouts contribute to a total bill which adds up to £2.3 million pounds since the year 2000.
Councils have been criticised for not doing enough to prevent these claims from being made. Various websites are advising people on ways to tell their council about unsafe roads and pavements. One such website called fillthathole.org which is affiliated with the national cyclists organisation (CTC) says: “Potholes and road defects are more than just a nuisance; they’re a danger to cyclists. They’re responsible for 12% of
compensation claims by CTC members, and local Councils have a duty to fix them.”
Fixmystreet.com offers a service whereby it relates information to councils such as graffiti, fly tipping, broken paving slabs and broken street lights. Concerned citizens can report problems and the website offers live updates on how many issues have been fixed.
Communityfix.co.uk and roadpatching.co.uk also offer similar services.
Colchester-cycling.org.uk offer advice to cyclists who are accidentally hurt due to uneven roads. The website says: “Potholes and similar road faults can lead to accidents and should be reported immediately. Once they are reported, there is a better chance of compensation should you or anyone else have an accident. You can report potholes,” The site says. “But don't hold your breath! Essex County Council is quick to mark them with paint but slow to mend them.”
Eastbourne Borough council has a pro-active approach to preventing trips-and-slips and is running a new campaign by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to highlight the risks. Accident claims will continue to dent council finances on the whole, until working solutions are put in place which reduce the number of pot-holes and irregularities on British streets.
Updated on 15/05/2008