I read in a newspaper article that last year teachers were awarded £20 million in compensation for accidents and mishaps at work. My thoughts go out to all those teachers who have suffered injuries and losses as a result of accidents and mishaps at work. As my friends at Thompsons will tell you, no one is awarded compensation automatically when they suffer loss or injury. In order to be successful in a claim for compensation it must be proved through evidence the injuries and/or losses sustained have been caused or contributed to by the fault and negligence of someone else.
The teachers who received compensation must therefore have suffered losses as a result of the negligence of the school or another party.
It was reported in the newspaper article that the amount of compensation secured for members by the teaching union NASUWT rose more than 20% compared to the previous year. This makes me sad and to me this indicates that practices to ensure the safety, security and welfare of teachers need to be improved.
One Union member, who also slipped on a grape and fractured her hip and was awarded £20,000 compensation. The Union explained that the school involved were aware of littering problems around the school prior to the accident but did not take steps to prevent or minimise it. Steps could have been taken by the school to reduce the litter problem and the risk posed by it. If the school had addressed the issue then the accident may not have occurred and the Union member may have been spared the pain, suffering and losses sustained.
