What happens when city services go wrong?

Sidewalk falls, potholes, flooding, tree branches and road paint are all reasons people got insurance money from the city in 2012.

CBC News

Posted: Apr 14, 2013 9:25 AM ET

Last Updated: Apr 14, 2013 9:33 AM ET

It cost city taxpayers almost $1 million to pay the liability claims made by the 71 people who stumbled and fell on city sidewalks and curbs last year.

The $949,750 paid out in insurance claims to those 71 people made it the biggest single liability category for the year.

It means someone who was injured or suffered damages because of a defective curb or sidewalk earned an average payment of about $13,300.

The highest number of claims was for sewer backups and flooding, at 238. The total cost for those payments was just over $100,000.

The numbers are presented in a report on last year's insurance claims that goes to council's audit committee today.

Overall in 2012, 842 people received liability payouts from the city totaling roughly $2.5 million.

Other highlights:

60 people made successful claims for damages caused by potholes, with an average payout of $632.
13 people successfully claimed damages cause by wet paint on roads, earning an average of $856.
Damages related to grass cutting earned six people just over $1,000 each.
Four claims of excessive force against the police resulted in average payments of $436.

Liabilty is just one of the categories the city has to insure: the others are property damage, motor vehicle accidents and the HSR.

The report notes that the total number of new claims from all categories, 2255, is down 11 per cent compared to the five-year average of 2536.

The number of new liability claims, 859, is down 21 per cent from the five-year average.

The city self-insures up to predetermined amounts, meaning payments below those thresholds are made by the city and not by its insurers.

Want to know who is making claims against the city and why? See the full list of liability claims below: