According to a recently published article in the Grimsby Telegraph newspaper, the North East Lincolnshire Council has made more than £45,000 in personal injury compensation payments to injured staff and pupils over the past three years.
Personal injury claims experts reported that the council has paid out £46,901 on 12 successful accident claims. This is less than half the total number of claims that had been brought against NELC, as an additional 13 claims were unsuccessful during the same period of time.
A full 50 per cent of the claims that were successful involved slips and trips, while the remainder of the incidents involved either falls from height or accidents where people where struck by falling objects. One incident was particularly unique, involving injury precipitated by a trapped thumb.
One council spokesperson remarked that every accident that occurred while on school property was investigated fully, and that the NELC takes each and every claim in a completely serious manner. The spokesperson also stated that the council was completely committed to the prevention of injuries to staff, parents, and pupils whenever they are present on school grounds, with compensation payments being made out of a dedicated insurance fund in the event that the NELC was held to be responsible for an injury or an accident.
However, there was some good news for the council, as the figures revealed that claims made against it for accidents occurring while on school grounds had been falling in a consistent manner over the past three years. In comparison to the eight claims that were made in 2008, the following year saw only three claims brought against the NELC, while only one claim was made in 2010.