Merseyside Councils pay over £4 million in personal injury compensation

DATA collected from Merseyside's Metropolitan Borough Councils reveals that more than £4 million was spent on personal injury compensation from:- April 2021 to March 2024.

Accident Claims Advice approached:- Metropolitan Borough Councils, County Councils and Welsh Councils, alongside London Borough Councils, to learn how much has been paid to personal injury claimants.

In total, 102 Councils confirmed that:- £60,432,785.08 had been paid out across:- 31,315 settled cases.

On average, claimants who had a case found in their favour during this period received an average sum of:- £1,693.81.

Merseyside's 5 Borough Councils combined paid out a total of:- £4,227,458.26, at an average of:- £1,484.55 per case.

£16,114,053.53 was confirmed as being paid out across:- 10,266 personal injury claims in 2023/24.

Numerous Councils provided incomplete figures, owing to many cases still being in progress, meaning the true figure is almost certainly higher.

Claims for personal injury can be made against Councils for a variety of reasons. According to Councils, the cause of claims included:-

• Slips, trips and falls.
  

• Workplace accidents and industrial disease.
  

• Road traffic accidents caused by potholes and road defects.
  

• Criminal injury, including:- assaults and physical or sexual abuse.

Liverpool City Council faced more claims than all, but 3 of the 102 Councils polled, clicking in over £2.5 million in pays out . Due to 393 cases in:- 2021/22, 342 in 2022/23 and 343 in 2023/24, the Council was sued 1078 times for personal injuries in just 3 years.

The Council had a:- 2021/22 outlay of £1,313,741, which dipped to:- £599,260 in 2022/23. The latest confirmed figure for:- 2023/24 is:- £709,704, though that could be subject to future change.

Overall, the Council paid out:- £2,622,705, with claimants taking home an average of:- £2,432.94.

In comparison, Wirral Council only confirmed their 2021/22 total, but the:- £47,248.05 paid out was significantly lower than any amount collated by their cross-Mersey counterpart.

2023/24 had provene to be very expensive for Sefton Council, with it having so far outspent Liverpool City Council in personal injury claim payouts. The North Merseyside Borough has seen claim expenditure rise to:- £755,563.67, meaning that:- £1,233,000.21 has been paid out to people who sued the Council for their injuries.

At an average of £2,703.95, a Sefton claimant was statistically likely to receive a higher payout than anyone else in Merseyside.

Comparatively, St Helens Borough Council paid out a much smaller total of £164,082 across 3 years, with the lion's share ; £140,493 ; forked out in 2021/22.

Knowsley Borough Council paid out a 5 figure sum in each of the 3 years, at a combined cost to the Council of £160,423.

Hampshire County Council records the highest payout figure, with the biggest outlay, paying claimants a total of:- £5,172,059.25. This included a mammoth:- £2,441,579.52 bill in 2023/24, as well as seven-figure losses in both:- 2021/22 and 2022/23. On average, a Hampshire claimant received:- £7,346.68 in compensation.

Manchester City Council were second in terms of payouts, losing:- £4,215,085.00 at an average of:- £3,691 across 1142 claims. Leeds City Council, which had an identical number of settled cases, agreed or were ordered to pay:- £3,912,531.49.

Accounting for 2023/24 alone, Leeds trails only Hampshire for payouts, having stumped up:- £1,165,759.07. Manchester is narrowly behind, having paid claimants:- £1,098,835.

They were the only 3 Councils to record more than £1 million worth of settlements, though Westminster Borough Council paid out:- £971,624.02.

Accident Claims Advice produces expert guides to personal injury claims and offers a free 24/7 help service for potential claimants.

Those with a valid personal injury case could be connected to an expert solicitor for help in suing their local Council.

Business owner praises impact of Southport's 1st ever co-working space

A business owner and networking leader has spoken of the benefits of working at Southport's 1st ever co-working space.

Victoria Jones, the founder of Pegasus Health and the Group Director of Real5 Networking Southport and Formby, moved into Werksy in January and loves being based there.

There are exciting possibilities for the space, which is located on:- West Street, within Southport's Town Centre.

Owners Rick and Sarah Blaney have been supported by Southport BID since they established their venture, recognising a growing need for people in the area wanting somewhere they could work from in a way to suit them alongside other business people.

1 of the founding members is Victoria Jones. She said:- "Before I moved into Werksy, I was working from home and hot desking from client offices. I thought it was a good time to make a few changes and when Werksy opened it was the perfect opportunity. When I 1st came to look around it was during an opening evening, and it was still under construction. I thought it was perfect. It's a very bright space, there's lots of light; the views looking from the window towards the coast are lovely. It has been great to establish myself in a space with other like-minded business owners, and employees who have been given spaces here by the firms they work for. It's a great way of getting to know other business owners and to build relationships. It's a really good support network and a lovely atmosphere to work in. This suits our business, and others too. There is a real mix, with people working in recruitment, in procurement, and other sectors. People here are generally around 20-45 so it is a fairly young demographic. It's great for new start-ups. There is a secure mail postbox downstairs and it is good having a different office address to your home. Because the office is so well situated and it's such a lovely facility, it's an excellent place to bring clients. Werksy has flexible deals depending on what size of space you need and how often you need to come in. It's a very secure office. The owners, Rick and Sarah, have been brilliant, very supportive and there when we need them. Werksy is in such a busy location, in a brilliant spot in Southport Town Centre. We are just a short walk from Lord Street, with lots of places to grab a coffee, enjoy some lunch or do some shopping. I have been going to places like The Grand or Occulo Lounge and others, there is so much choice. On the other side we have the beautiful Marine Lake and King's Gardens, which is a fabulous place to go out for a walk. I am really looking forward to the new restaurant and bar moving in downstairs later this year, which will make a really big difference. When it opens it will become a real social hub where we can meet clients, go and enjoy something to eat, or go somewhere after work."

Victoria is an expert in health and wellbeing in the workplace.

She's a big believer that health plans and private health insurance aren't just for:- 'big business' any more and the need to break down the barriers of entry to care has never been greater.

By putting health and wellbeing at the heart of every business we work with, we can help create more successful, happier, and healthier workplaces.

With a healthcare system that struggles to cope with our every-day and ever changing needs, employees aren't just looking at their job's salary anymore, they want the full package. They want to see what workplaces can offer them to enrich their lives and assist their work / life balance.

At Pegasus Health, you can expect a dedicated partner committed to your organisation's success and the wellbeing of your employees.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend among big firms requiring employees to work from home, or work remotely. It's a situation that doesn't suit everyone, all of the time.

Victoria said:- "When I was working from home all the time, I felt that my own mental health was deteriorating. There is a lot of pressure working from home, and it doesn't always work for everyone. My day to day job is working with employers. The challenge has been getting people able to adapt well to remote or hybrid working. Some people do suffer from their mental health when they are working from home."

Southport has a lot to offer when working remotely too.

Victoria said:- "When you are travelling into a big City for work every day, the commute can be too much, in terms of time, the huge costs, and the stress involved. Sometimes you need that place outside of home that's not too far away where you can just Call in when you need to. I can really see the benefits of having a good quality office outside your home. I am established at Werksy now. Everyone knows I am here. There is a real community feeling being here. It is a really nice environment to be in, away from home; central; in a brilliant location; where you can make greatest connections with people. It is a beautiful, sophisticated, place to work from, and I love it."

Werksy provides space across 3 floors and offers: private offices; dedicated desks; hot desks; meeting rooms.; and hire by hour for podcasts.

All inclusive membership packages cater to various needs, from £65 plus VAT per month for part-time lounge access to £210 plus VAT for a dedicated desk with lockable storage.

For scaling enterprises, it offers exclusive private office spaces.

The beautiful new co-working space is suitable for sole traders, small businesses, project teams and others.

The new facility is suitable for a variety of users, from those looking for an escape from squeezing onto a table at home to small companies looking to upscale.

There is an open plan office on the second floor of the building where workers can co-work alongside other professionals, while the mezzanine 3rd floor hosts offices which can accommodate small firms. There is a meeting room that members or external users can utilise.

There is space for more small firms on the top floor.

Werksy co-owners Rick and Sarah Blaney said:- "We desperately need somewhere like Werksy here in Southport and lots of people have been in touch. It's great for working, for networking, for working alongside other professionals instead of being sat inside the dining room at home. Werksy is a very flexible space. People can come in here full time, or they can hot desk and drop in, they can come in and be part of a community."

Werksy has been developed by successful local business owners Rick and Sarah Blaney, who have run the award winning Stamford rooms and self catering apartments for the past 6 years.

Rick and sarah said:- "Hopefully we can create a collaborative business hub where you can come in, enjoy some peace from the kids or the pets, and spend some time working alongside some like minded entrepreneurs in a professional and friendly environment."