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Search forBASILDON: Council staff land in the money for work injuries
Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 09:38
Another Basildon District Council worker in the parks department who sustained a wrist injury was paid £10,285 after tripping over rubbish.
The council paid out an astonishing £111,863 for just 11 claims by injured employees in the last three years, the Gazette has learned through a request made under the Freedom of Information Act.
Resources cabinet member Phil Turner has spoken out in defence of the payouts.
He said: "I'd like to think the amounts reached for payouts were justified. Health and safety is this council's priority.
"Nobody should have to go to work thinking they've got to risk life and limb and we, as a responsible employer, take every precaution to prevent injury.
"But when an employee is injured we will take every effort to make sure that situation never arises again.
"These payouts go through our insurance company. The people that decide this are working against the backdrop of litigation and an increasing compensation culture.
"If you look across the water to America where there have been claims in the millions of dollars, we could be thankful we are not paying several times what we are."
Cllr Turner said that, when compared with other local authorities, payouts amounted to only a small fraction of the council's overall expenditure.
He added that a growing compensation culture meant court action could prove costly.
The admissions have prompted calls for a tough stance on spurious claims.
Mark Wallace, a spokesman from The TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "The council may not feel this is a big bill but try telling the hundred families whose council tax has gone straight into compensation.
"We live unfortunately in a growing compensation culture and to keep the bill down the council must take care.
"They must be firm in order to avoid excessive amounts for spurious claims."
The council's refuse department accounted for £41,555 claims between October 2005 and the end of October 2008.
A massive £26,122.70 was forked out after an electric truck failed to stop and crushed an employee's foot against a metal bollard.
Workers in the parks department claimed more than £14,000 in the same period.
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WHOOPS: The council paid out nearly £112,000 for work-related injuries.
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