Doncaster Council pays out over £500,000 in personal injury compensation in a year
A freedom of information request has also revealed that more than £350,000 has been paid in compensation for property damage.
The City of Doncaster Council paid out more than £500,000 in personal injury compensation in 2025/26, with one claimant receiving £160,000.
A freedom of information request (FOI) has also revealed that more than £350,000 has been paid in compensation for property damage.
A spokesperson for the City of Doncaster Council said: “Whilst we cannot comment on individual claims or their details, we should make it clear that when a claim is made against the council, the council’s team and its insurers will assess the merits of the claim and consider the council’s options.
“On occasions that assessment will recommend that a settlement be agreed following vigorous investigation. Any other claims are robustly defended.”
The highest payout during the 2025/26 financial year was a £160,000 in personal injury compensation, paid in November 2025, paid by the authority’s highways liability cover.
Doncaster Council paid personal injury compensation 24 times during the year, including an £80,000 payment in January 2026 and £47,000 in August 2025.
The local authority also made 140 payments as compensation for property damage totalling £353,467, with the highest payout reaching £25,000.
The vast majority of compensation payments, both personal injury and property damage, were paid out of the council’s motor insurance.
“It should be noted that motor payments includes all motor incidents notified to insurance, including own vehicle damage where there is no third party, or known third party (for example damage to council vehicles whilst parked),” the FOI response read.
The same FOI request revealed Doncaster Council made six ex gratia payments, a voluntary sum of money paid without legal obligation, during the same period.
Those six payments totalled £75,755.91. Three were settlements for claims made at employment tribunals, whilst another was to settle a dispute during early conciliation talks involving ACAS, the government’s independent employment dispute resolution service.