£45,000 worth of claims against Blackpool schools
Posted: September 22, 2013
Posted in: Public Place Accidents School Accidents Workplace Injuries Workplace Slip
Blackpool council is currently facing £45,000 worth of compensation claims from pupils, staff and visitors of their schools. Between September 2010 and May 2013, a Freedom of Information request found that 36 claims for personal injury compensation had been filed against the council’s primary and secondary schools. The claims range from children being “hit by a football” to one child who made a claim after “being pushed and suffering an injury”.
Despite the numerous compensation claims made to Blackpool Council, it has only sought to defend 75% of the 36 cases (27). Three of the cases have been passed on to liability adjusters, and in another three, compensation was granted in the first instance. An additional three cases remain under investigation.
- 15 of the injury claims came from employees
- 18 claims came from pupils
- 3 claims came from school visitors
A recent case saw a teaching assistant being awarded £4,800 after she slipped on a piece of jigsaw that was left on the floor. The lawyers who won her case described the incident as a “nasty injury”.
Blackpool Council has paid out a total of almost £47,000 through seven claims: the highest pay out stands at £15,500 and the smallest at £522.
Coun Sarah Riding, cabinet member responsible for schools at Blackpool Council, said: “If someone has been injured in circumstances where something should have been done to avoid it then it’s only right that they receive compensation.”
If you have sustained an injury at work or in a public place, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us.
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