Here at Legal Expert, we’ve recently conducted research into personal injury compensation payouts made by local councils across the country.
Analysing the results, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 councils with the highest payouts in the past year.
We also discuss the causes of these accidents and how we conducted our research.
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The Top 10 Councils That Paid The Most Personal Injury Compensation In The Last Year
The top 10 councils that paid out the most personal injury compensation between April 2022 and April 2023 are as follows:
- Liverpool City Council – 311 claims – £1,743,423.43
- Essex County Council – 440 claims – £1,286,745.92
- Hampshire County Council – 217 claims – £1,256,506.82
- Camden Council – 92 claims – £1,108,472.57
- Manchester City Council – 341 claims – £1,081,522
- Birmingham City Council – 283 claims – £806,004
- Bury Council – 82 claims – £735,000
- Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council – 104 claims – £719,454.46
- Southampton City Council – 49 claims – £494,970
- Sheffield City Council – 79 claims – £481,351.32
What Are The Top Causes Of These Personal Injury Payouts?
Let’s take a more in-depth look at the causes of these accidents, breaking down each council.
Liverpool City Council – 311 claims – £1,743,423.43
Causes of claims included slips, trips and falls, claimants hit by a falling object, falls from heights and exposure to noise
Essex County Council – 440 claims – £1,286,745.92
Majority of claims involved trips and falls, some pothole accidents and claims relating to physical or sexual abuse
Hampshire County Council – 217 claims – £1,256,506.82
Causes included a fallen tree injury, defective premises, potholes and slips, trips and falls
Camden Council – 92 claims – £1,108,472.57
Claims mostly consisted of slips, trips and falls, but also claimants being struck by a moving object
Manchester City Council – 341 claims – £1,081,522
Slips, trips and falls were the root cause of claims with Manchester City Council.
Birmingham City Council – 283 claims – £806,004
Mostly slips and trips, either on public highways and pavements or on council-owned land
Bury Council – 82 claims – £735,000
Nearly half of claims were caused by footway defects, followed by carriageway defects
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council – 104 claims – £719,454.46
Mainly slip, trips and falls, but also noise induced hearing loss and other industrial diseases contributed to the overall sum
Southampton City Council – 49 claims – £494,970
The majority of claims involved claimants being struck by an object, followed by accidents in playgrounds
Sheffield City Council – 79 claims – £481,351.32
Causes of claims included carriageway defects, defective equipment, surface defects and manual handling claims
About Our Research
This information was obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, which were made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Individual requests were made to each local council in the country and the raw data was then analysed and compiled.
If you’d like to see copies of the FOI responses, please get in touch.
About Personal Injury Claims
If you’ve suffered an injury and suspect it was the local council’s fault, it’s important to be aware of the eligibility criteria in place in order to make a claim.
First, you must show that the council owed you a duty of care to minmise the risk of you suffering harm so far as it’s possible for them to do so. This is set out in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.
Secondly, you must show that they breached that duty of care. Let’s take a pothole, for example. If someone has reported the defect to the council and they’ve not taken action to secure the hazard, if you fall and injure yourself they could have breached their duty in not making the repairs.
The final criterion is that you suffer an injury that the accident either caused or contributed to. This means if you already have a bad back but the condition is worsened, you can still claim compensation.
How Long Do You Have To Make A Personal Injury Claim
To make a successful personal injury claim you also must show that you’re in time to make a claim.
The Limitation Act 1980 sets out that personal injury claims must be made within 3 years from the date of the accident. A failure to do so could see the claim time-barred, meaning you can’t recover compensation.
There are some exceptions to this. One relates to children who suffer an injury. As they can’t legally represent themselves, the time limit is frozen until they turn 18 and come of age in the eyes of the law. They then have until their 21st birthday to issue court proceedings.
Another exception relates to people who lack the mental capacity to represent themselves. In this case the time limit is frozen until they regain their capacity.
In the case of both exceptions, it’s possible to take legal action sooner provided there’s someone able to make decisions on the injured person’s behalf. This individual is known as a litigation friend.
Speak With Our No Win No Fee Solicitors Today
If you’d like to enquire about making a personal injury claim today, you can speak with our No Win No Fee solicitors today for free.
We offer a case check to everyone who calls where you can discuss your case and get advice on your legal options, with no obligation to make a claim.
If we believe you have valid grounds to claim personal injury compensation, we can offer to represent you on a No Win No Fee basis. This is a phrase you may have heard before.
No Win No Fee simply means that if your solicitor doesn’t succeed in recovering a payout, you don’t have to pay them.
It also means you don’t have to pay any fees upfront, and nothing to pay as the claim progresses.
Only if your claim succeeds do you pay a fee. And this is deducted from the compensation payout you receive, meaning nothing comes directly out of your pocket. The fee that a solicitor charges is called a success fee and is capped by law to ensure you take home what you deserve.
If you’d like to speak with us today about making a personal injury compensation claim against a local council, our helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. You can reach us by:
- Calling 0800 073 8804
- Writing to us about your claim online
- Or speak with us now via our live chat box
