No win, no fee news
09/09/2008

Welsh councils in multi-million pound compensation bill

Welsh newspaper Wales on Sunday has revealed that councils across Wales paid out around £8 million pounds to settle personal injury claims, many of them undertaken on a no win no fee basis, between 2005 and 2007.

And, in reality, the fee-paying and no win no fee bill is likely to much higher, as three councils refused to disclose their details, despite the newspaper making a Freedom of Information Act request.

A former Bridgend councillor commented on the news, "People seem to think local government hasn't got a face and that nobody is losing out."But in actual fact, insurance premiums go up and the people who pay these premiums are the council taxpayers. There is nothing wrong with people making a claim that is legitimate, but there are certain organisations out there which think they can exploit it."If you go to court you have to pay solicitors and there is a lot of time involved. A council's first duty is to the taxpayer."But, I'm glad to say, councils are starting to hit back and winning cases."

The council with the biggest compensation bill was Newport, which had to pay £3.18 million, a proportion of which was for no win no fee claims.