SLIPS and trips have cost Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) more in compensation in two years than neighbouring Reading, new figures have revealed.
Claims dealt with by WBC included slipping on wet stairs, falling over a raised paving slab and damage caused by potholes.
Over two years it paid out a total of £73,976 – £34,848 in 2013/14, and £39,128 in 2014/15. In the same period, Reading Borough Council paid out £46,500.
The report from The Taxpayers Alliance (TPA) also revealed that more than £100 million has been paid out in compensation claims against local authorities across the UK over the last two years.
The highest compensation claim was from Lambeth Council which, over the two years, paid out £5,264,071.
The TPA says the figures suggest some local authorities are failing to adequately deliver services – such as pothole repair and road maintenance – resulting in costly compensation claims.
Others claims could be attributed to the failure to meet the standard of care required of local authorities by the law, it said.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, WBC’s executive member for resident services, told The Wokingham Paper: “Every claim is assessed on its individual circumstances and dealt with solely on the basis of legal liability.
“Where we and our insurers are satisfied there is no liability, we thoroughly investigate and robustly defend them. Compensation is only paid if we are legally liable.
“The compensation payments highlighted in the Taxpayers Alliance report include slipping on wet stairs, tripping over an obstruction on the floor, falling over a raised paving slab and vehicle damage caused by potholes.
“We want to be transparent, but sadly cannot give more details about individual cases because this could identify the people involved and therefore breach their right to confidentiality.
“Claims numbers vary greatly from year to year and depend on a number of factors, including winter weather conditions. We take our responsibilities to the public and our employees very seriously to safely provide our wide range of services. Unfortunately, there will be times when something goes wrong.”
