The Erosion Of Public Services Due To The Rise In Accident Claim Cases Brought Against Local Councils
The number is incidents in which an accident claim would be brought in the UK in years gone by has always been quite low. However, this has changed in the last decade or so and more and more claims are being brought as the UK adopts the more litigation orientated approach that is more common in the USA. This has particularly had a bearing on local councils, who have been subjected to increasing numbers of expensive claims.
Most frequent claim types
The area of trips and falls are the kinds of accident claim cases that councils most commonly face. Law states that the council is liable if the accident occurred as a result of a pothole that is deeper than one inch, or a slab that is higher than one inch. There is evidence to suggest that many people abuse this law and will use it to pursue a claim even if the accident occurred elsewhere.
Further areas of liability
Areas such as museums, swimming pools, schools and parks also fall under the responsibility of the local council. 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
Whenever a council has to settle an accident claim, the result is less money in the pot for the upkeep of public areas. The lack of funds results in things such as more potholes, which increases the likelihood of other incidents. 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.