Compensation claims against Shropshire Council down after road work

Shropshire Council settled four claims totalling £16,888 in 2019/20 for personal injury relating to highways, which includes roads and pavements, with the highest single claim being £8,394.

This was half the number of injury claims the authority settled the previous financial year, with eight payments totalling nearly £67,653, including two individual claims of £19,366 and £18,557.

The figures, disclosed following a Freedom of Information request, also show that the number of claims for highways-related damage to property, including vehicles, dropped from 103 to 65 between 2018/19 and 19/20.

The total amount paid out fell from £57,203 to £19,520.

The council has faced mounting criticism in recent years over the state of the highway network and this is reflected in the number of claims settled, with just seven claims for highways-related property damage in 2016/17, rising to 40 the following year before peaking at 103 in 18/19.

Similarly the number of claims settled over personal injury due to highways defects rose from four each in 2016/17 and 17/18 to eight last year.

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Carriageway defect repairs have been an area of significant focus for us in terms of service improvement.

“We have made operational changes to the way in which these are managed and repaired.

“We are delighted that this is starting to have a positive impact on insurance claims.

“This will continue to be an area of high priority for us as we work with our Alliance partners to improve the services we provide.”

In total, the authority has paid out £414,655 in highways compensation over the last five financial years.

The highest personal injury payments include one for £40,595 in 2016/17 and £37,320 in 15/16.

Over the last five years the council has also paid out £45,674 through 14 settlements relating to defective premises, and £74,733 under 20 claims classed as ‘other’.

The council would not give further details about the nature of these claims, saying it could risk identifying the individuals involved.

The claims relating to defective premises include a payment of £17,153 in 2016/17 and one for £8,230 in 18/19. There were no successful claims in 19/20 over defective premises.

Settlements classed as ‘other’ include one for £18,500 in 2018/19 and another for £15,008 in 17/18.

However less than 14 per cent of compensation claims lodged with the council are successful, with 2,196 claims totalling £4.4 million rejected over the five year period.