New research released in Scotland has shown that police forces within the country are shelling out thousands of pounds in accident claims.

The data unveiled that personal injury compensation claim cases made by Scotland’s biggest police force alone, Strathclyde Police, had cost the organisation more than two hundred and fifty five thousand pounds in 2008 and 2009. The cases resulted in wounds sustained by officers whilst travelling in police vehicles and damage to those cars, or injuries inflicted on civilians that were either travelling in police machinery or that came into contact with them.

Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary shelled out eleven thousand pounds, whilst a further eleven thousand pounds was paid out in accident claims by Lothian and Borders Police in third party injuries. Lothian police also paid out one hundred thousand pounds in vehicle damage to third parties, in incidents in which it was judged that a police officer was at fault.

In total, Scottish police paid more than nine hundred thousand pounds in personal injury compensation claim cases and vehicle damage complaints between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2009.

A large proportion of the total amount handed out was attributed to third party solicitor fees or legal experts representing the police force – whether to defend their role in an accident or to pursue another responsible party.

However, a spokesperson for the police force also revealed that no payments for personal injury cases filed following 1st April last year have yet been paid, due to the sometimes drawn out nature of the compensation claims process.