Norwich kerb and paving slab trips among compensation payouts
Compensation was paid after people in Norwich tripped on paving slabs and kerbs. - Credit: Archant
Thousands of pounds for people who tripped over kerbs and loose paving slabs in Norwich were among more than £250,000 compensation claims settled by councils.
Almost a quarter of a million pounds of compensation has been paid by Norfolk County Council over the past three years - the bulk of it for vehicles damaged by pot-holes.
The £250,000 figure, of claims settled between April 2019 and June this year, also included £44,000 paid out of court to a victim following historic criminal proceedings in the crown court.
That court case had led to the conviction of a school employee for sexual offences.
Other payments, revealed using the Freedom Of Information Act, included just over £10,000 the county council paid to someone who tripped on a dislodged and damaged kerb in Norwich.
Among the 25 claims settled by Norwich City Council (out of 129 lodged) was £22,600 paid after a person fell on a loose paving slab.
Another saw £552 paid out after a trolley, which a council worker was using to deliver food to a vulnerable person during the coronavirus pandemic, rolled into a parked vehicle.
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A number of the other successful compensation claims were damage which were caused to people's property.
The majority of the claims against Norfolk County Council which resulted in pay-outs were due to damage caused by pot-holes.
The bulk of compensation payouts by Norfolk County Council were due to damage caused by pot-holes. - Credit: © ARCHANT NORFOLK PHOTOGRAPHI
The council had more than 1,330 compensation claims, while just over 1,100 were settled out of court. Seven ended up in court.
A council spokesperson said: "The council receives several hundred liability claims each year, each one is investigated on its own merits against the council’s statutory duties, responsibilities and current case law.
"Any compensation settlement made for pain, loss and suffering is evaluated in line with guidance set out within the Ministry of Justice guidelines. "
They said the council, which last week announced an extra £10m to repair pot-holes, worked hard to maintain the condition of Norfolk’s roads - which cover some 6,000 miles.
South Norfolk Council paid out just over £500 after a bin hit the claimant's vehicle.
