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Birmingham City Council pays out nearly £1m compensation for school accidents (9 April 2014)

Date: 09/04/2014
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Birmingham City Council pays out nearly £1m compensation for school accidents

Birmingham City Council has paid out nearly £1 million in compensation as a result of school health and safety claims.

A total of £911,538 was paid out to teachers and other education staff for accidents at schools, which involved a caretaker receiving £40,000 for injuring their thumb – and £113,905 paid out to a teacher injured while trying to stop a fight between pupils.

A dinner lady injured as a result of a “defective saucepan lid” received £1,500 the Mail reports.

Birmingham City Council is aiming to save £822 million by 2018 and the cutbacks include losing up to 1,000 jobs.

School cleaners and school pupils have all received payouts from the council, after accidents on school premises – a child who fell over in a sandpit received £5,513 in compensation, while a cleaner injured by a defective floor mop was awarded £1,750.

Some of the largest payouts to school staff who made personal injury claims against the council involved £34,539 to a cleaner who tripped in a store cupboard.

The compensation awards were made public as the result of a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Birmingham City Council has declined to give details of the claim for £113,905 to a teacher who tried to stop a playground fight.

However, critics have hit out at the council’s record in awarding substantial sums in personal injury claims made by teachers, pupils and school staff.

The chief executive of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, Jonathan Isaby, said:

“An extraordinary sum of taxpayers’ money has been paid out in playground compensation claims – some of which appear frivolous by any stretch of the imagination.”

Mr Isaby said that ministers “must do better” in counteracting the compensation culture which affects councils.

An unnamed deputy head teacher from a Birmingham state school said that as a result of the compensation culture, schools felt as though they were “treading on eggshells” with both staff and school pupils.

However, the general secretary of the teaching union NASUWT, Chris Keates, said:
“While compensation is important, it can never make up for the fact that many of these teachers suffer permanent physical and mental injury – and often cannot continue in their chosen career.
“It is a myth that compensation is easy to obtain – in reality, the hurdles and barriers facing claimants are extremely high.”
A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said that the health and safety of staff and pupils was a paramount consideration, but added there was always “room for improvement”.

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors for Accidents at School

Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can advise on how to make a no win no fee compensation claim for injuries sustained at schools as a result of the negligence of another party, such as the Local Authority.

Duncan Lewis can also advise on how to make a claim for injuries as a result of exposure to hazardous materials on school premises, including Asbestos Claims – as well as Sexual & Physical Abuse Claims.

Claims for Accidents at School usually have to be made within three years of the injury.

For expert legal advice on making no win no fee compensation claims for Accidents at School, contact Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.

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