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Councils pay out compensation for injuries on pavements

Published 05/06/2007

Local councils in the east of England have paid out £6 million in injury compensation since 2001 for trips and slips on pavements, according to figures obtained by the BBC under the freedom of information act.

The survey also revealed that between three-quarters and two-thirds of claims filed in the east of the country resulted in payouts for claimants.

Among the councils making substantial payouts were Hertfordshire County Council (£828,233), Norfolk County Council (£732,211), Suffolk County Council (£821,233) and Cambridgeshire County Council (£640,862).

Typical of the claims was that of £8,000 to Margaret Bell, who broke both her wrists after tripping over a hole in a path in Corby.

She 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."

Meanwhile, another claimant was the recipient of £43,000 after injuring their leg through tripping over a protruding paving slab in Billericay High Street.






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