Trips and falls lead to £50,000 injury compensation bill
Posted: March 3, 2015
Posted in: Pedestrian Injuries Pothole Injuries Public Place Accidents
Slips, trips and falls have resulted in more than £50,000 being paid out by Norwich City Council to injured pedestrians. The council blames City Hall budgets, saying that if they continue to see cuts, the pavements will only continue to deteriorate, causing more injuries. Of the 49 claims involving trips or falls in the last twelve months, the city council defended 40 of them. Of those 40, only 9 received compensation – totaling £52,427.
This figure was even greater than the previous year, with 2012/13 seeing 6 compensation payouts, totaling £26,887. Last week the city council’s scrutiny committee discussed the growing problem. The council highlighted the main reasons for insurance claims revolved around uneven slabs, pot-holes and manhole covers. There were no claims for slipping on ice or wet leaves and the majority of claims are for minor injuries such as bruising, cuts and sprains.
Allocation of £92,000
The council said that the budget they had to maintain pavements is limited, so a “perfect surface” on all roads and pavements is impossible over the whole area. In the next year, however, £92,000 has been allocated to kerb and pavement improvements.
A council spokesperson said: “The city council will continue to work with the county council to maximise the effectiveness of any expenditure, and also to maintain or increase highway maintenance funding in the city where possible.”
If you have suffered an injury in a public place, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us.
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