Huge bill for city - Compensation culture

THE figures detailing Cork City’s compensation bill for people who have a mishap on the city’s streets are startling and another question mark over our terribly expensive compo culture.

The city council has had to pay nearly €17m in compensation for trips or falls on city streets since 2011. The public liability payouts have risen from over €3.6m in 2011 to just over €4.08m last year despite a drop in claims from 213 in 2011 to 163. The average payout has risen from just over €17,000 in 2011 to almost €25,000 last year while the average legal expense has jumped from just over €8,000 in 2011 to over €11,000 last year. Legal fees are additional to any award made.

If a person is hurt through negligence on the part of a local authority or a business our system entitles them to fair compensation and that is how it should be.