A £318,000 settlement for a council worker who fell at a theatre tops the checklist of compensation payouts by Welsh native authorities, figures have proven.
Yearly councils settle compensation claims submitted by staff and members of the general public which might sometimes run into six-figure sums.
Payouts are solely made when the claimant has suffered a loss, comparable to an damage, and the native authority is liable.
Under are figures for all of Wales’ 22 councils, requested through the Freedom of Info Act by the Native Democracy Reporting Service, for the final three monetary years.
We requested councils for payouts involving the general public and staff, numbers of claims paid out, and highest payouts with a short abstract of the declare.
Observe-up requests had been submitted in situations the place sure particulars had been withheld. A few of the figures might embrace authorized prices however others do not.
Particulars of the accidents suffered by the Carmarthenshire Council worker who fell at a theatre weren’t disclosed however it could be cheap to imagine they had been critical.
And it is laborious to not wince while you learn {that a} Gwynedd Council worker obtained their finger caught between gatepost and shifting automobile.
Whereas slips, journeys, and falls are maybe one of the best identified class of claims injury attributable to potholes may price councils.
There are additionally payouts for assaults, flood injury, knowledge safety breaches, and emotional and psychiatric injury.
And, fortunately very not often, a council might need to settle a declare for failing to take away a susceptible younger individual from their residence or for sexual abuse whereas a teenager was in care.
The best payout involving a member of the general public was the £109,971 paid out for a head damage sustained in Powys.
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Practising barrister Paul Hewitt, who is especially primarily based in Cardiff, has defended councils in compensation claims and in addition represented claimants. He stated councils have public legal responsibility and employers’ legal responsibility insurance coverage to supply safety.
Declare numbers soared, he stated, when the “no win no payment” mechanism changed the precise to authorized help for private damage circumstances simply over 20 years in the past.
“From that time on private damage claims exploded and so did insurance coverage premiums and excesses for councils,” stated Mr Hewitt.
Whereas a practising solicitor in Swansea early in his profession Mr Hewitt recalled defending an area authority in opposition to a declare from a council home tenant.
Mr Hewitt stated the tenant claimed they’d damage their ankle tripping over an drainage cowl within the backyard which was apparently sticking up.
“The council refused to settle the declare so it went to courtroom,” stated Mr Hewitt. “The injury [to the ankle] was assessed at £4,000 – the problem was legal responsibility.”
He stated the courtroom rejected the declare which saved the council not solely the £4,000 however round £9,000 in solicitors’ prices. Moreover the authorized agency which represented the tenant had submitted prices of £25,000.
Mr Hewitt stated the authorized prices would have been coated by an insurance coverage coverage which claimants take out earlier than going to courtroom.
Requested the method when a member of the general public approached him with a slip or journey compensation declare, Mr Hewitt stated: “We might ask the individual the place they fell over and we might exit and take photographs, take a full set of directions and a full assertion.”
A “pre-action” letter would then be despatched to the council, which in flip would examine the matter.
Mr Hewitt stated the council’s insurers may settle for legal responsibility, during which case a medical report could be ready concerning the claimant’s accidents and a monetary worth placed on them.
Solely a small share of claims, he stated, ended up in courtroom.
A spokesman for the Welsh Native Authorities Affiliation, which represents councils, stated: “If the council is negligent insurers look to settle the declare. If the council will not be negligent then the insurers deny legal responsibility.
“If the third celebration doesn’t agree with the insurer’s legal responsibility resolution the third celebration can situation courtroom proceedings.”
Blaenau Gwent Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/2019 £52,940
2019/2020 £28,207
2020/2021 £79,835
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/2019 6
2019/2020 4
2020/2021 9
The three highest payouts throughout these years, and transient abstract of the incident:
£35,000, £22,000, £15,000 (no additional particulars supplied)
Compensation paid out for its staff:
2018/2019 £16,835
2019/2020 nil
2020/2021 £36,415
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/2019 3
2019/2020 nil
2020/2021 6
The three highest payouts throughout these years, and transient abstract of the incident:
£13,000, £8,003 (no additional particulars supplied)
Bridgend Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £69,785
2019/20 £237,942
2020-21 £102,094
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 33
2019/20 18
2020/21 25
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£75,000 Psychiatric accidents
£58,603 Damaged wrist after pothole fall
£24,800 Injured falling from scooter attributable to gravel on street
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £33,629
2019/20 £40,511
2020/21 £34,285
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 8
2019/20 9
2020/21 10
Three highest payouts for workers:
£18,000 Worker hit in eye by fragment of steel
£12,690 Trainer lower off tip of finger with round noticed
£10,000 Industrial deafness
Caerphilly Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £95,964
2019/20 £147,565
2020/21 £44,538
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 55
2019/20 56
2020/21 32
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£15,920 Flood injury to property
£13,450 Journey damage
£10,500 Harm to automobile
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £3,600
2019/20 £4,555
2020/21 nil
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 1
2019/20 2
2020/21 nil
Three highest payouts for workers:
£3,600 Slip damage
£2,555 Hand damage
£2,000 Slip damage
Cardiff Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £320,968
2019/20 £326,799
2020/21 £316,148
Variety of claims paid out to the general public:
2018/19 132
2019/20 115
2020/21 99
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£52,500, £38,000, £33,750 – no additional particulars supplied
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £62,132
2019/20 £157,487
2020/21 £56,479
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 13
2019/20 15
2020/21 10
Three highest payouts for workers:
£22,500, £20,000, £16,885 – no additional particulars supplied
Carmarthenshire Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £69,475
2019/20 £205,455
2020-21 £106,827
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 21
2019/20 31
2020/21 21
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£105,000 Accident on footpath
£28,000 Accident at school playground
£23,625 Motorcyclist slid on extra gravel
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £16,048.50
2019/20 £76,872
2020/21 £368,886
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 4
2019/20 9
2020/21 4
Three highest payouts for workers:
£318,000 Fall at theatre
£28,750 Assault
£5,000 Fall at work
Ceredigion Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £29,022
2019/20 £2,200
2020-21 £707
Variety of claims paid out to the general public:
2018/19 3
2019/20 4
2020/21 1
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£13,413 Journey damage
£9,893 Car injury on account of obstruction on street
£5,716 Journey damage
Compensation paid out for workers: nil
Conwy Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £107,360
2019/20 £91,035
2020/21 £46,427
Variety of claims paid out to the general public:
2018/19 7
2019/20 4
2020/21 2
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£43,208 Property injury
£30,818 Slip/journey/fall damage
£14,611 Slip/journey/fall damage
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £17,046
2019/20 £25,952
2020/21 £44,503
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 1
2019/20 2
2020/21 1
Three highest payouts for workers:
£44,503 Slip/journey/fall damage
£20,398 Noise-induced listening to loss
£17,046 Exertion damage
Denbighshire Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £26,422
2019/20 £35,759
2020/21 £43,459
Info was supplied on variety of claims obtained however not paid out.
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£13,500 Bike owner pothole fall damage
£5,850 Slip/journey damage
£5,000 Bike owner pothole fall damage
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 nil
2019/20 £5,220
2020/21 nil
Info was supplied on variety of claims obtained however not paid out.
Highest payouts for workers:
£3,420 Stress
Flintshire Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £102,593
2019/20 £89,342
2020/21 £166,444
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 81
2019/20 84
2020/21 84
Three highest payouts to members of the general public:
£65,000 Bike owner damage
£47,904 Accident on icy street
£21,000 Slip on icy floor
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £20,799
2019/20 £17,113
2020/21 £229,505
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 6
2019/20 6
2020/21 9
Three highest payouts for workers:
£72,771, £72,382, £50,000 – no additional particulars supplied
Gwynedd Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £32,067
2019/20 £51,479
2020/21 £11,371
Variety of claims paid out to the general public:
2018/19 12
2019/20 21
2020/21 12
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£35,000 Slip on pontoon bridge
£15,000 Slip on algae on slipway
£8,150 Fall when step tipped forwards
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £13,653
2019/20 nil
2020/21 £10,063
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 2
2020/21 2
Three highest payouts for workers:
£9,653 Workplace journey head damage
£6,500 Finger caught between gate put up and shifting automobile
£3,999 Industrial illness
Isle of Anglesey Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/2019 £35,285
2019/2020 £9,335
2020/2021 £13,892
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/2019 21
2019/2020 10
2020/2021 6
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£9,686 Journey damage
£8,542 Health club damage
£6,191 Knowledge breach
Compensation paid out for workers: nil
Merthyr Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £52,562
2019/20 £67,204
2020/21 £1,943
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 5
2019/20 9
2020/21 1
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£16,000 Slip on ice in automobile park
£14,900 Tree on council land fell on personal property
£7,500 Knowledge breach
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 nil
2019/20 £23,014
2020/21 nil
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2019/20 2
Three highest payouts for workers:
£6,600 Handbook dealing with incident
£3936 Handbook dealing with incident
Monmouth Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £35,966
2019/20 £33,769
2020/21 £24,832
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 17
2019/20 23
2021/21 14
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£13,154 Knowledge safety
£10,122 Pothole injury
£10,121 Private damage
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £6,975
2019/20 nil
2020/21 nil
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 1
Highest payouts for workers:
£6,975 Slip/journey damage
Neath Port Talbot Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £102,400
2019/20 £142,457
2020/21 £263,456
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 40
2019/20 45
2020/21 38
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£80,000 Flooding to non-public property
£35,000 Social providers failure to take away a teenager from their residence
£30,000 Slip/journey damage
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £27,577
2019/20 £23,594
2020/21 £80,000
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 2
2019/20 5
2020/21 4
Three highest payouts for workers:
£50,000 Hand/arm vibration syndrome
£21,000 Damage whereas utilizing equipment/gear
£20,000 Slip/journey damage
Newport Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £200,313
2019/20 £204,198
2020/21 £300,881
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 28
2019/20 23
2020/21 56
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£99,000 Again damage after falling down steps
£90,599 Cycle accidents
£63,000 Sexual abuse whereas in foster care a long time in the past
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £110,619
2019/20 £52,099
2020/21 £69,002
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 12
2019/20 8
2020/21 6
Three highest payouts for workers:
£50,000 Assault
£33,000 Assault
£32,000 Knee damage after falling on faulty step
Pembrokeshire Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £9,095
2019/20 £19,090
2020/21 £11,335
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 34
2019/20 80
2020/21 69
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£7,060 Journey/fall damage
£3,370 Flood injury
£3,011 Harm to automobile
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 nil
2019/20 £437
2020/21 nil
Highest payouts to staff:
£437 Harm to automobile
Powys Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £232,972
2019/20 £190,852
2020/21 £98,373
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 93
2019/20 60
2020/21 44
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£109,971 Head damage
£28,000 Head damage
£27,500 Emotional injury attributable to bodily/sexual/emotional abuse
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £136,558
2019/20 £45,033
2020/21 £33,750
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 7
2019/20 3
2020/21 3
Three highest payouts for workers:
£65,758 Leg damage
£40,000 Head damage
£25,000 Numerous private accidents
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
Not recorded in a format which might present compensation payouts
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 99
2019/20 62
2020/21 44
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£82,000 Critical elbow fracture on account of journey on faulty college ramp
£60,000 Pothole fall knee damage
£25,000 Wrist break after pavement fall
Compensation paid out for workers:
Not recorded in a format which might present compensation payouts
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 13
2019/20 11
2020/21 9
Three highest payouts for workers:
£136,710 Critical shoulder damage after falling down a shopper’s stairs
£13,486 Handbook dealing with shoulder damage
£12,580 Fall on college stage
Swansea Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £309,325
2019/20 £333,072
2020/21 £353,117
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 50
2019/20 53
2020/21 41
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£84,221 Private damage
£50,000 Structural injury
£41,774 Private damage
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £140,019
2019/20 £31,330
2020/21 £95,698
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 17
2019/20 10
2020/21 10
Three highest payouts for workers:
£40,804 Private damage
£45,000 Assault
£24,196 Fall damage
Torfaen Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/2019 £23,500
2019/2020 £7,868
2020/2021 £20,960
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/2019 20
2019/2020 20
2020/2021 21
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£9,318 Damage attributable to pothole fall
£8,299 Damage attributable to pothole fall
£1,950 Playground gear damage
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/2019 £10,736
2019/2020 £9,450
2020/21 nil
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/2019 4
2019/2020 3
Three highest payouts for workers:
£7,350 Accident damage involving gear
£5,577 Assault by college pupil
Vale of Glamorgan Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £289,289
2019/20 £209,850
2020/21 £110,518
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 85
2019/20 68
2020/21 57
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£75,000 Bike owner pothole damage
£40,000 Journey damage
£35,000 Bike owner pothole damage
Compensation paid out to staff:
2018/19 £28,607
2019/20 £20,928
2020/21 £3,500
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 5
2019/20 4
2020/21 1
Three highest payouts for workers:
£10,338 Again damage
£9,000 Twisted knee
£6,750 Again damage
Wrexham Council
Compensation paid out for members of the general public:
2018/19 £189,521
2019/20 £376,958
2020/21 £306,548
Variety of claims paid out to members of the general public:
2018/19 148
2019/20 96
2020/21 52
Three highest payouts for members of the general public:
£ 141,882 Flood injury
£ 67,085 Slip/journey damage
£ 62,179 Slip/journey damage
Compensation paid out for workers:
2018/19 £156,713
2019/20 £167,051
2020-21 £197,027
Variety of claims paid out to staff:
2018/19 9
2019/20 10
2020/21 8
Three highest payouts for workers:
£97,370 Faculty-related damage at a faculty
£78,575 Housing-related damage
£41,677 Highway-related noise damage
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