Bedfordshire Police forced to pay accident compensation

Bedfordshire Police has been forced to pay a total of £45,894 in accident at work compensation.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed that the force has had to pay out large sums of money to employees injured while on duty.

A spokesperson for Bedfordshire Police told Bedfordshire on Sunday that work-related accidents were always investigated by the force's insurers who consider claims on a case by case basis.

The money is allocated to claimants from the Bedfordshire Police insurance reserve, unless the amount of the claim exceeds £100,000.

If over this amount, the force's insurance policy covers the claim.

According to Bedfordshire on Sunday, the largest sum paid out by the force has so far been £10,000 to an employee who fell and hit their head after the back of the office chair snapped.

While many assume that injury is a part of the job description for police, under the law all employers owe a duty of care to their workforce to protect them from reasonably foreseeable injuries.

Accidents occur in all professions and it is the job of all employers to minimise the risk.

Posted by Jessica Shervin