This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/6720477.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Millions spent on street trip-ups | Millions spent on street trip-ups |
| (11 minutes later) | |
| Councils across the East of England have spent millions of pounds compensating people who have been injured by tripping up on pavements. | Councils across the East of England have spent millions of pounds compensating people who have been injured by tripping up on pavements. |
| Excluding legal fees, £6m has been paid out by councils since 2001, the BBC revealed after it obtained the costs in Freedom of Information Act requests. | Excluding legal fees, £6m has been paid out by councils since 2001, the BBC revealed after it obtained the costs in Freedom of Information Act requests. |
| Claims included £43,000 for a leg injury and a payout after someone fell and dented dog food tins. | Claims included £43,000 for a leg injury and a payout after someone fell and dented dog food tins. |
| The region's councils said the majority of claims against them were rejected. | |
| Essex County Council says it successfully defends or rejects around 82% of claims against it. | Essex County Council says it successfully defends or rejects around 82% of claims against it. |
| On average, the other local authorities in the East see off between three quarters and two thirds of the claims made against them. | On average, the other local authorities in the East see off between three quarters and two thirds of the claims made against them. |
| Compensation payouts 2001-2007 Bedfordshire County Council: £158,339Cambridge City Council: £86,284Cambridgeshire County Council: £640,862Essex County Council: £739,946Hertfordshire County Council: £828,233Ipswich Borough Council: £86,275 Luton Borough Council: £244,525Milton Keynes Borough Council: £735,903Norfolk County Council: £732,211Northampton Borough Council: £230,056Peterborough City Council: £272,356 Southend Borough Council: £168,892Stevenage Borough Council: £32,981Suffolk County Council: £821,042 | Compensation payouts 2001-2007 Bedfordshire County Council: £158,339Cambridge City Council: £86,284Cambridgeshire County Council: £640,862Essex County Council: £739,946Hertfordshire County Council: £828,233Ipswich Borough Council: £86,275 Luton Borough Council: £244,525Milton Keynes Borough Council: £735,903Norfolk County Council: £732,211Northampton Borough Council: £230,056Peterborough City Council: £272,356 Southend Borough Council: £168,892Stevenage Borough Council: £32,981Suffolk County Council: £821,042 |
| In January, Essex County Council had £4.75m in outstanding compensation claims for trips on pavements and footpaths. | In January, Essex County Council had £4.75m in outstanding compensation claims for trips on pavements and footpaths. |
| Claims the county council had paid out on included £3.28 to someone who broke some glass tumblers and dented dog food tins after tripping on a pavement in Billericay High Street and £43,000 to someone who hurt their leg after tripping on an uneven paving slab. | Claims the county council had paid out on included £3.28 to someone who broke some glass tumblers and dented dog food tins after tripping on a pavement in Billericay High Street and £43,000 to someone who hurt their leg after tripping on an uneven paving slab. |
| Hertfordshire County Council made compensation payments of £828,233, Norfolk County Council £732,211, Suffolk County Council £821,042 and Cambridgeshire County Council £640,862 - all excluding legal costs. | Hertfordshire County Council made compensation payments of £828,233, Norfolk County Council £732,211, Suffolk County Council £821,042 and Cambridgeshire County Council £640,862 - all excluding legal costs. |
| Figures for Northamptonshire County Council show it paid out £693,754, including legal fees between 2003 and 2007. | Figures for Northamptonshire County Council show it paid out £693,754, including legal fees between 2003 and 2007. |
| In December 2005, Northamptonshire County Council paid out £8,000 to Margaret Bell who tripped on a hole in a path near were she worked in Corby. | In December 2005, Northamptonshire County Council paid out £8,000 to Margaret Bell who tripped on a hole in a path near were she worked in Corby. |
| She broke both her wrists and was unable to work for months. | She broke both her wrists and was unable to work for months. |
| Margaret Bell, from Thrapston, Northants, told the BBC: "I was talking to the person I was with and the next thing I knew I just went down on the ground - I couldn't get up." | Margaret Bell, from Thrapston, Northants, told the BBC: "I was talking to the person I was with and the next thing I knew I just went down on the ground - I couldn't get up." |
| Taxpayers' cheques | Taxpayers' cheques |
| No council could give a definitive answer as to why it faced such a large number of claims. | No council could give a definitive answer as to why it faced such a large number of claims. |
| Norman Hume, of Essex County Council, said: "It's fair to say there's an increasing compensation culture at play." | Norman Hume, of Essex County Council, said: "It's fair to say there's an increasing compensation culture at play." |
| Mr Hume added the council had been working towards making improvements to curb injury figures and would "spend a record amount this year in Essex something close to £75m on maintenance of our roads and footways". | Mr Hume added the council had been working towards making improvements to curb injury figures and would "spend a record amount this year in Essex something close to £75m on maintenance of our roads and footways". |
| Barry Gibbs, of pressure group Taxpayers Alliance, said: "Its an enormous amount of money - there's an issue about what councils are paying out and whether they have robust enough procedures to check on the authenticity of claims. | Barry Gibbs, of pressure group Taxpayers Alliance, said: "Its an enormous amount of money - there's an issue about what councils are paying out and whether they have robust enough procedures to check on the authenticity of claims. |
| "There needs to be clearer guidelines from central government on what are legitimate claims because ultimately all the cheques are signed by the taxpayer." | "There needs to be clearer guidelines from central government on what are legitimate claims because ultimately all the cheques are signed by the taxpayer." |