A recent Freedom of Information request to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has shown that between April 2022 and April 2023, the Council have paid out a staggering £227,286 for personal injury claims. These include pothole accidents, defective pavements, missing or defective drain/utility covers and slip/trip accidents.
Local highways are maintained by the council at the taxpayers’ expense. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council are under a duty to inspect, maintain, and repair all highways in their area to ensure that they are safe for the public to use. By failing to do so, the Council leave themselves open to injury and damage claims. It appears from the figures provided that by not maintaining or repairing their highways promptly, properly or at all, they are incurring significant compensation costs which inevitably come out of the public purse.
In 2022/2023, 27 personal injury claims were submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. They have advised that 8 of those claims have been resolved but 19 still remain outstanding. The £227,286 relates to personal injury claims which were settled during 2022/2023, but could have been submitted to the Council years before.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council have confirmed they have allocated £1million to pothole repairs in 2023/2024, with plans to also improve road surfaces in various locations and upgrade older road surfaces.
As well as Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council facing personal injury claims, Lancashire County Council have paid out more than £11million in the last 5 years. Read our detailed blog surrounding LCC’s pothole pitfalls here.
If you, or a friend/family member, has been injured as a result of a defective highway, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Contact one of our experienced team for a no obligation assessment of your case on 0845 287 0939. Alternatively, you can contact us by email through our online contact form or use the chat below.
