UK teachers have received millions of pounds in personal injury compensation after suffering apersonal injury at work, according to the Times Educational Supplement.
Members of the NASUWT received £10.5 million while the Association of Teachers and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers say its members got £5 million. Members of the NUT received awards of £2.5 million. The total payout of £23 million included money for unfair dismissals and assaults.
Among the individual awards was a £200,000 payout to a male teacher slipped on a grape and fell down some stairs. He was unable to work after the fall which aggravated an existing hernia injury. Another teacher who slipped on a grape and fractured a hip received a compensation payment of £20,000.
The largest reported personal injury claim for an accident at work occurred as a result of a teacher who tripped in a pothole in a school car park. His injuries were so severe that he needed to undergo surgery to his back and is now incapacitated. He received a personal injury compensation award of £292,795.
These figures show that schools have a blatant disregard for health and safety and careers are being irreparably damaged as a result, a spokesperson for the NASUWT said.
Although it may soon be possible to file personal injury claims online for amounts up to £50,000, it is always best to get advice from a personal injury solicitor before proceeding to take action.