Last year saw a 50% rise in the number of “slips, trips and falls” incidents for which Clare County Council had to pay out compensation.
New figures from the local authority show the local authority has had to pay over €2.6 million in compensation for public liability claims in the last five years.
Members of the public can make a public liability claim against a property owner for a personal injury sustained on property intended for public use.
Last year, finalised public liability claims in Clare were up 50% – with 30 such claims resulting in a council pay-out of €412,768.
However, this was 40% less than the amount paid out by the local authority in 2022 when it faced a public liability bill of €690,291.
From 2019 to 2023, 123 slips, trips and falls claims against Clare County Council were finalised.
This means across the period, over €2.6 million in compensation was paid out by the council.
The local authority’s compensation bill of €412,768 last year was the third-lowest in the country – with just Fingal County Council and Leitrim County Council finding themselves having to pay out less.
