Personal injury claims sky high
'Trip and slip' claims are costing Wigan council tax payers dear.
New figures show that compensation payments to those suing for personal injuries crossed the 426,000 mark last year.
The borough is the seventh (out of 10) richest picking-ground for 'no win, no fee' lawyers in Greater Manchester.
Now a watchdog is demanding Wigan and other local authorities take more care to avoid lawsuits against them.
Matthew Elliott of the Taxpayers' Alliance claimed: "These compensation pay-outs are sky high and will be of great concern to taxpayers."
But Wigan Council head of highways Mark Tilley pointed out that Wigan Borough is the second largest authority in Greater Manchester with the second longest networks of roads and paths.
He said: "The comparatively low figures reflect the fact that the council has a vigorous monitoring and maintenance system to ensure its footways are safe and accessible.
"All claims against the council are treated fairly and while we deal robustly with fraudulent claims, we will pay compensation for those genuinely injured."
Compensation claims for the county as a whole have cost more than 7.4m
Oldham, Salford and Stockport councils all paid out more than 1m after people claimed damages for injuries suffered after they tripped on potholes and pavements.
The Taxpayers' Alliance say that they are also concerned that town halls like Wigan are racking up large legal bills defending themselves in contentious claims.
A number of councils have been cracking down on quick pay-outs in recent years after a surge in claims.
They point out that in 2003 Trafford council spent 130,000 fighting a court case involving a woman who tripped on a pavement – but the victim was finally only awarded 56,916 compensation.
But personal injury lawyer Michael Hardacre, of Manchester-based legal firm Pannone, said it was wrong to blame a 'compensation culture' for
the payouts.
He said: "Judges are very good at seeing through fraudulent or spurious claims. The reality is these pay-outs are to people who have had serious injuries which they have taken a long time to recover from."
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Weather for Wigan
Tuesday 07 February 2012
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