School injury claims at an all-time high

Posted: March 9, 2014

Posted in: Finger Injuries Public Place Accidents School Accidents 

Over the last year alone, Bradford Council has seen personal injury claims concerning injured pupils almost double.  With claims ranging from children tripping over chairs to children being hit by a swinging school bell, Bradford Council has been bombarded by claims in the past financial year. One teaching union said that the figures were a reflection of our “compensation culture”.

2012/13 saw 25 claims being made against the local authority, yet none of which actually led to payouts. The figures were released as a result of a request under the Freedom of Information Act, revealing that the financial year 2012/13 saw 25 claims made against the council, where 2011/12 saw only 13 claims regarding injured pupils. 2011/12, however, also saw one payout of £4,100 to a primary school pupil who got their arm caught on a bolt jutting out from a fence. 

“A plea for common sense”

The previous year there were 22 claims, which resulted in two payments. One primary school pupil received £1,400 after tripping over a rope in PE and hitting their face, while the other was awarded with £6,146 after their finger became trapped in a door hinge.

It has been argued by the councillor responsible for children and young people’s services in Bradford that parents need to use more common sense. Ralph Berry said: “It still costs us money to have to deal with [claims which lead to no payments] … It’s almost a plea for common sense in what’s becoming a compensation culture with the ambulance-chasers approach.”

If you have suffered an injury in a public place, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us. 

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