Staggering cost of ‘trip and fall’ claims in Limerick revealed
LIMERICK CITY and County Council has paid out the second highest amount - in terms of counties nationwide - in compensation claims from trips and falls on footpaths and roads in the last five-and-a-half years.
New figures have revealed that 447 personal injury claims have been brought against the local authority since 2017.
A total of €11,525,568 was paid out to claimants by Limerick City and County Council, according to a report by the Irish Independent.
Limerick has the second highest amount of money paid out for claims, in the country, after four councils in Dublin who have paid out €66 million. The figures are based on the number of claims per 100,000 of population.
Cork City Council and Cork County Council refused to release the figures for claims made against them, and asked for the information to be sought through a Freedom of Information request.
Councils across the country have paid almost €150 million in compensation with nearly 10,000 claims made against local authorities in Ireland since 2017.
The numbers reflect how many claims were settled during the 2017 to 2022 period, not how many accidents occurred.
Cllr Emmett O'Brien said that there is an issue with footpaths in Limerick and it is the responsibility of the council to make sure the appropriate systems and inspections are in place.
He said there have been a lot of complaints about the ongoing maintenance of footpaths throughout the city and county.
Mr O'Brien, who is also a barrister, said he has no issue with people bringing claims if there is genuine negligence.
“If there is a hole in the footpath that has occurred by ordinary wear and tear then the claimant has no case. But if the person slips and falls on pavement that has already been complained about to the council, then that is negligence.”
Councillor PJ Carey said he was “surprised” by the amount of claims as he said the local authority is usually quick to fix issues once they have been raised.
“Anytime I have raised something, the Active Travel team has always been quick to respond so I am quite surprised by those figures.”
Limerick City and County Council has been contacted for comment.