The number is incidents in which an accident claim would be brought in the UK in years gone by has always been quite low. There has been a shift away from this kind of culture in the UK in recent years, bringing us more in-line with the USA. Many of these claims are brought against local councils, which has greatly affected their funding strategy.

Most frequent claim types

The kinds of accident claim cases that are most commonly brought against local councils tend to centre on trips and falls on pavements and roads. Where an injury is sustained as a result of an accident involving a pothole that is deeper than one inch, or a raised paving stone that is higher than one inch, law states that the council must take responsibility. It is believed that many people take advantage of this law and bring claims against the council even if the accident did not occur in a public place.

Other problematic areas

Areas such as museums, swimming pools, schools and parks also fall under the responsibility of the local council. Whilst many accident claim cases can be pursued as a result of injury in all of these places, schools and parks tend to be especially problematic due to the number of children that use them.

Impact in society

Whenever a council has to settle an accident claim, the result is less money in the pot for the upkeep of public areas. This means that more potholes appear in our roads, providing more chance for accidents. With money being so tight in the current climate, councils are left with no choice but to remove funding from areas that they deem less important. One such example is the deterioration of many of our public parks; with swings and climbing frames being removed as the council do not have the funds to maintain the play areas to the high level needed to protect against compensation payouts.

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