The act of bringing an accident claim in the UK is one that historically has been only done in the most serious of cases. 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. This has particularly had a bearing on local councils, who have been subjected to increasing numbers of expensive claims.

Common cases

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. Unfortunately research suggests that this law is often abused; with many people taking advantage to bring a claim against the council for injuries that were sustained in a different situation.

Further areas of liability

It is also the councils duty to provide safety in several other public places, such as schools, museums, swimming pools and parks. There are many kinds of injuries that can occur in these kinds of environments and result in an accident claim, especially in schools and parks where children are frequently found.

Impact in society

Each accident claim that a local council pays compensation for, means there is less money in the pot to spend on 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. A good example of this happening is the fact that many of our parks are being left without swings and slides as the councils cannot afford to install them and make them as safe as they should be.

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