by Richard Craig
18 July 2011
More than £400,000 was paid out to personal injury victims in Bolton last year, it has been revealed.
The Bolton News, following a Freedom of Information request, discovered that of the total amount, the vast majority was paid to individuals, with the remainder going to Bolton Council staff.
71 payments were made to Bolton residents for a range of injuries: everything from run of the mill slips and trips on pavements, to one unfortunate individual who was hurt tripping over a picnic table. There were also falls in car parks and back injuries.
The council asserted that it did not pay out on as many as 75% of claims and will rigorously defend cases it believes it can win, only making a payment out of court when they wish to avert a costly legal bill.