Last year alone, Haringey Council paid out over £417,000 in compensation to pedestrians and motorists injured on the borough’s roads. The figures, which were released by the Liberal Democrats, found that a total of 19 people were awarded compensation in 2013/14, totaling at £417,635. Haringey Council received 194 claims for injury and damage, of which only 52 were settled without payment and 123 were outstanding.
The borough’s roads have been repeatedly criticised by the public for not being poorly maintained. In the last six years, Haringey Council has paid out a total of £2,698,547, with most of the successful claims being for injuries sustained on the borough’s roads. One local citizen, Diana Buckley (a Finsbury Park nurse), said that on the 6th of May she tripped on a paving stone near her house on Mount Pleasant Crescent. She was taken straight to A&E with quite serious injuries.
Rise in spending on streets
Ms Buckely said: “It is lucky I was between nursing jobs when I tripped on the damaged pavement otherwise I would have had to miss work and might have had to ask the council for compensation”. She continued to explain that her ankle is so badly injured that she is currently unable to do her nursing job properly.
One council spokesman said that the council is doing everything possible to improve the roads and pathways; 2013/14 saw 2,400 repair jobs being carried out in eight months. This year’s budget also contained a nine-fold rise in spending on pavements, streets and motorways.
If you have suffered an injury due to a slip, trip or fall, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us.
