Councils Pay Out Over £15 Million in Damages
Posted: January 5, 2015
Posted in: Pothole Injuries Public Place Accidents
Scottish councils have paid out over £15.5 million in damages according to a report regarding compensation claims in Scotland in the last five years.
The vast majority of payments were a result of claims were due to poor road conditions and potholes, with water related incidents also resulting in some of the highest claims against the Scottish councils.
Claims Down £3 Million
Despite the astonishing figure, the report also found that the numbers reflected a decrease in payouts over the last period, with an average decrease of £3 million paid out by councils since 2010.
East Renfrewshire had the most payouts in 2014, with Glasgow close behind. Although many councils had to compensate substantial claims, only the Scottish Borders and Midlothian councils saw an increase in payouts in 2014.
Nature of Claims
A spokesman for Glasgow Council said:
“The figure for 2014 is currently very low – but the nature of the process means that it takes some time for claims to be resolved.
“The impact of sustained poor weather in 2011 also demonstrates that these matters are still not entirely within our control.”
The number and amounts of claims only show date of the claim and not when it was paid out. Avril Sweeney, head of Fife council’s risk management team said:
“Under Scots law a claimant has up to three years to claim for an injury and up to five years to claim for loss or damage to property.
“This means that there will still be claims to be paid for the last five years, so these are not final figures.”
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