Councils in Suffolk and Essex have spent more than £264,000 of taxpayers’ cash dealing with personal injury claims resulting from potholes in roads, latest figures have revealed. 

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to local authorities across England and Wales has shown that between 2017 and 2021, Essex County Council spent £197,157.11 resolving 34 personal injury claims (PICs), while the equivalent sum for Suffolk County Council was £66,990 for 15 PICs. 

In Suffolk, a further 180 PICs made during the period were either dismissed or currently unsettled, while in Essex, 539 were dismissed or currently unsettled. 

Legal firm Lime Solicitors submitted FOI requests to all 173 local authorities, receiving 157 replies. 

In total, 5,596 personal injury claims were resolved at a cost of £32,153,190 in compensation, an average of £5,746 per case. 

However, a spokesperson for Essex Highways said there were mitigating factors, including that the authority had to maintain one of the largest road networks of any authority in the UK, while some of the payments went on solicitors’ fees and court costs, not just compensation. 

She said: “These figures need to be seen in context as we are one of the largest authorities in the UK with one of the biggest road networks stretching over more than 5,000 miles. 

“All compensation claims received by the council are investigated fully and damages are paid if the council is found to be liable.  

“It should be made clear that the financial figure provided is not only for compensation but includes other payments such as third-party solicitors’ costs and court fees.  

“We have a duty to ensure that public taxpayers’ money is used responsibly and we are required to establish legally whether compensation should be paid in each case. 

“The majority of claims are successfully defended because we are very rigorous in our maintenance of the network.  

“We have our own valid, published procedures, which include defect inspection, defect recording, categorisation and allocation of priority, which takes into consideration public safety, in order to plan a repair within an appropriate timescale. 

She urged anyone wishing to report an issue to follow the advice on the Essex Highways ‘Tell us’ tool at essexhighways.org/tell-us  

Nobody from Suffolk County Council was available for comment.