It’s always disappointing when the actions of a few individuals have a wider negative impact and a recent news article on personal injury compensation claims which will no doubt lead to more bad press around the sector.
A Daily Mail story detailed a few cases where people put forward really frivolous compensation claims and were awarded large payouts, including a case where a council worker was given £5,000 for being made to wear a uniform they claimed was too tight.
All of the payouts were made by Northamptonshire County Council, and figures show that the body has paid out over £350,000 in compensation over the last five years alone.
Other claims included a payout for £200 to an employee who had a splinter in their hand, and a compensation haul of more than £11,000 to member of council staff who was apparently thrown into the air by a malfunctioning shutter door.
In one case, the council awarded more than £32,000 to a worker who slipped over on some food in a dining area, causing injury only defined as a “contusion or bruise”.
Speaking to the newspaper political director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance Jonathan Isaby said that taxpayers should not have to fork out over incidents “where a bit of common sense would have avoided an accident” – and I completely agree.
Greedy individuals will always be the main focus of press articles about compensation, leading to claims that the UK has an unhealthy compensation culture which encourages people to pursue money for the smallest thing.
This isn’t an accurate portrayal of the way things are, and it may also put off those who have a genuine right to make a claim. While many of the above examples would seem over the top to most of us, I doubt anyone would say that someone who was left with a debilitating condition, unable to work, and in need of long-term care, should be denied access to compensation.
This post was provided by Grieves personal injury solicitors, of Huddersfield, UK. If you’ve been injured in an accident in the UK that wasn’t your fault, take a look at their personal injury compensation calculator to see how much you could claim.
