Ealing Council Tops Table for Personal Injury Claims

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Over £2million in compensation paid out over last three years

Poorly maintained pavements could be one reason for higher compensation claims. Picture: AI generated

October 8, 2026

Ealing Council has paid out more in personal injury compensation than any other London borough over the past three years, according to newly released figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests.

Between 2022/23 and 2024/25, Ealing settled over 260 claims, including 19 brought by council staff, at a total cost of £2,089,522. While the number of claims made against Ealing was not unusual compared with other boroughs, the level of compensation awarded per case appears significantly higher.

Croydon, for example, faced the largest volume of claims by a wide margin — more than 1,000 payouts, more than double the next highest council — yet did not top the list for total compensation paid. Lambeth recorded the fewest claims of all, with just one case in three years.

Only one other borough, Hillingdon, exceeded the £2 million mark, paying out £2,075,697. Just five other councils passed £1 million in compensation. Seven boroughs, including Wandsworth, did not respond to requests for data.

The figures, compiled by Personal Injury Solicitors London, show that 25 London councils recorded 6,691 personal injury claims over the three-year period. Of these, 5,839 were made by members of the public, compared with 345 by council employees.

The data does not yet explain why Ealing’s compensation levels are significantly higher than those of other boroughs with similar claim volumes. A response from the council is awaited.

Council	Total claims against council (3 years)	Claims by employees (3 years)	Claims by public (3 years)	Total claims paid (3 years) ▼
Ealing	260	19	241	£2,089,522
Hillingdon	273	no data	no data	£2,075,697
Lewisham	287	40	247	£1,820,155
Tower Hamlets	303	36	267	£1,644,293
Hackney	346	31	315	£1,547,671
Havering	193	14	179	£1,340,298
Barnet	422	17	405	£1,304,808
Croydon	1023	7	1014	£937,186
Barking and Dagenham	186	25	161	£883,012
Islington	314	19	295	£754,925
Haringey	309	23	286	£720,272
Hammersmith and Fulham	229	1	228	£626,448
Bexley	207	2	205	£612,840
Camden	318	14	299	£551,799
Brent	236	5	231	£542,827
Kensington and Chelsea	261	no data	no data	£462,467
Richmond upon Thames	239	5	234	£458,636
Sutton	137	2	135	£328,346
Hounslow	68	16	52	£196,705
Kingston upon Thames	143	3	140	£121,747
Merton	124	9	115	£63,682
Greenwich	315	19	296	£41,412
Redbridge	258	21	237	£31,820
Lambeth	1	0	1	£518
Total	6691	345	5839	£19,494,107

 

Personal injury claims typically arise when members of the public are injured or suffer financial loss because a council has failed to maintain public spaces or services safely. Many are believed to be a result of falls due to hazardous pavements. Local authorities have a legal duty of care to ensure that roads, pavements, parks, council housing and public buildings are reasonably safe.

According to the councils that provided breakdowns, the most common types of claims include public liability, employers’ liability, accidents at work and road traffic incidents.

Patrick Mallon, solicitor at Personal Injury Solicitors London, said the figures highlight the importance of councils maintaining safe environments for both residents and staff.

“These latest figures show the importance of local councils upholding their statutory duty to both their employees and their residents,” he said. “We’ve seen far too many avoidable accidents happen over the years. Even simple slip, trip and falls have the potential to turn someone’s life upside down.

“We turn to our councils for help and support and to keep us safe in our neighbourhoods. We hope that in shining a light on these figures more action can be done to ensure public and employee safety.”

 

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