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.

Nevertheless, it is difficult to be entirely confident that the cost imposed on the local authority — us all really — in each and every case is absolutely justified. It would be reassuring to be able to believe that opportunism never plays a part.