According to a Freedom of Information request, Solihull Council in the West Midlands has had to pay out £187,942 in personal injury compensation for accidents that have happened in the public domain.
That number is set to rise further still as claims made last year are yet to settle.
Since 2015, the local authority has received 358 personal injury claims and paid out on 48 of them.
The majority of claims is seemingly due to injuries arising from accidents on a footpath or due to a pothole in the road.
The largest claim successes against the council for example include an incident regarding a pothole that saw a successful claim of £20,000, and a claim of £10,820 was successful for an accident involving a tree root underneath the pavement.
Signs of improvement
However, there are signs that the tide is turning.
Last year, Solihull Council only paid out £18,539 to five claimants – a third of the average annual sum and the number of successful claimants over each of the previous three years before that.
For this financial year, there are 43 claims made, a 45% reduction of the number of claims as of current.
What this means is that safety processes in public areas are being addressed, and as a result there are less accidents, and less serious injuries as a result of negligence from the local authority.
Public accident injuries
You don’t expect to have a serious accident anyway, but least of all on your travels. If the accident was not your fault and the injury has impacted your ability to lead a normal life, you could be able to claim compensation.
Our personal injury solicitors can identify if you have a claim online or over the phone, and can help make sure you get the personal injury compensation you deserve.
You can start your claim today by filling out the claim form below, or by calling 0800 29 800 29.
