Many county council through the country have seen an increase in the amount of compensation paid for damage to cars caused by potholes. Figures from Surrey county council show it paid out just over £390,000 in 2009 but that went up to just over £860,000 in the following year.

Meanwhile, Hampshire County Council, which is responsible for maintaining a road network of over 5000 miles, paid out over £110,000 in compensation in the short period from April to November 2010

The dramatic increase is down to the damage to roads caused by the recent deep freezing and thawing of road surfaces.

Kendal Worker Awarded £300,000 for Crushing Injury (10th February 2011)

Wayne Miller, a 48-year-old worker at a paper manufacturing factory in Burnside Cumbria, got his sleeve caught in machinery he was fixing and his arm and hand were pulled between rollers up to his elbow.

The accident, which happened in June 2008, resulted in nerves being ripped from his wrists and reconstructive surgery and skin grafts were required.

His employers, James Cropper, admitted liability and said they had installed safety guards to their machines to enhance safety.

Mr Miller accepted he was partly to blame for the accident because, contrary to the firm’s health and safety policy, he had removed the safety guard from the machine he was working on and was working alone. As a result, his compensation award was reduced from £375,000 to £300,000.