A school pupil in Teesside was awarded an astonishing £3,500 in compensation after getting just a splinter in the finger .The compensation claim was made when the youngster got a splinter when handling wood at a Middlesbrough school.
Middlesbrough Council, who paid the child compensation , said it cannot reveal the pupils name or where the pupil studied for legal reasons, but it did confirm that a judge independently approved the amount of compensation awarded. It is still unclear, however, how severe the injury was or if it led to any other medical issues.
The award has caused controversy amongst people who believe that Britain is in the midst of a growing compensation culture, in which people claim monies for trivial injuries, like splinters and falling in the playground. Accident at school compensation claims are on the increase across Teesside. Another payout of £6,000, the largest amount paid to a schoolchild in Teesside, was awarded to a child when they cut their head and hands after running into a window at school. The payout was also reported to be one of the biggest of its kind in the country.
Middlesbrough Council also had claims made against them for a fracture, after a pupil fell on faulty paving, to which they awarded £750, and they gave away £1,500 to a pupil who slipped on a wet floor.
Other local authorities across Teesside are also spending much needed money on compensation. Stockton Borough Council settled one claim out-of-court for £2,500 when a child trapped their finger in a door. In total for the financial year 2007/08 Teesside’s councils paid out over £10,000 for compensation claims made on behalf of schoolchildren for accidents at school. Middlesbrough Council paid £7,750; Stockton Council paid £2,500 whereas Redcar and Cleveland Council did not make any compensation payments.
A survey by the Tax Payers Alliance found that local authorities across the UK had paid out almost £2 million in compensation for accidents at school. A spokesman for them called the school claims culture bonkers and the amount of money involved shocking. He said that so much money meant for books and teachers is being squandered. The ex-chief schools inspector, Chris Woodhead, said: “Sadly we live in a world where too many people want to make money for the slightest misfortune. It is short-sighted greed.”
A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said: “We are not able to disclose details of individual cases of compensation paid to inured school pupils because they are confidential. However, rigorous guidelines must be met before any sum is granted. In all cases where compensation has been paid there has been an injury warranting that level of compensation, for which the council is legally liable.”
He went on to say in defence of the amount of money awarded to children that: “In all cases of compensation paid for injuries to children the final settlement needs to be approved by a judge at an infant settlement hearing. This is required even when a case is settled without recourse to the court system. Compensation is negotiated with reference to past cases of a similar nature.”
A spokesman for the Campaign for Real Education said: “Parents should not be encouraged to apply for compensation when there is an accident, but we suspect a lot of authorities just pay. It’s easier and quicker.”
