Crackdown on fake compo cases pays up
Awards paid out this year amount to €1.2m, compared to €2.48m for the same period last year.
Compensation awards, most of which resulted from street falls, cost the council about €2.5m in 2002.
Joe Coughlan, the council’s accident investigator, said the new Risk Management Section at Limerick City Hall vigorously investigate suspect claims.
“We contest cases where we believe we have a chance of winning. When we win we pursue those involved for our costs and make every effort to recover them,” said Mr Coughlan.
He said the public were aware of this.
“This gives some people pause for thought: knowing if they lost a case, we will pursue them for our costs.”
City centre CCTV cameras have been a huge help to the council in fighting bogus compensation claims.
“We had a claim from a person who claimed he fractured his foot in a fall on the street,” said Mr Coughlan. “We managed to get CCTV film which showed him outside a fast food outlet getting into a fight. He limped away from it. The next day we got a claim in for a broken leg.”
Councillor John Gilligan is a strong advocate of the council’s policy of fighting spurious claims.
“It is fair to say that when Limerick City Council are at fault, they will pay compensation without any quibble.
“That’s why insurance is there. But making fraudulent claims is just like robbery,” he said.
He said money paid out in bogus claims had to be recouped from the ratepayers, who in turn get it back from their customers.
“This is money which could be used to improve housing and other vital services,” said Mr Gilligan.
Able-bodied men, he said, have been known to go out looking for cracks on pavements to stage falls.
“Then when they get their compensation money they have a recovery,” said Mr Gilligan.
The city council has received 70 claims for compensation this year.
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