Our Ref:         FOI-0127-2425

 

Thank you for your request received on 16 April 2024 asking for information about passenger falls.
 
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked for:
 
1.     Please provide Full Details of ALL ‘Passenger Fall Incidents’, which have occurred over the last FIVE YEARS, on TfL Station premises, both Underground and Overground, together with the number of any Associated Claims, and details of the Financial Settlements made in respect of them.
 
Please see the attached spreadsheet that details information of passenger fall incidents for 2019 – 2023 on the London Underground and London Overground.
 
Between 1 January 2019 and 22 April 2024 there were 534 claims received linked to a passenger fall in London Underground stations. For financial details on paid claims, see response to question 4 below. We do not hold information on claims made to London Overground as these would be processed by Arriva Rail London who are the operating company responsible for running the Overground.
 
2.     Please provide Full Details of ALL ‘Passenger Fall Incidents’, which have occurred over the last FIVE YEARS, on TfL Station premises, both Underground and Overground, specifically those in which Wet Floors and Platforms were implicated in any Associated Claims, along with details of the Financial Settlements made in respect of them.
 
Unfortunately, to provide information on how many were due to wet surfaces would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. 
 
Under section 12 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, locating and retrieving it and extracting it from other information would exceed the appropriate limit. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described. 
 
We have estimated that it would cost over £450 to provide a response to your current request. This is because it is estimated that it would take in excess of 18 working hours to retrieve and compile the information you have requested.
 
There were over 14,000 passenger falls during the requested time period. There is no specific code for a fall specifically due to alleged wet floors or platforms, so in order to determine whether a wet surface was involved we would need to review each incident. 
 
To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit, you may wish to consider narrowing its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. If you want to refine your request or make a FOI Act request in future, please bear in mind that the FOI Act allows you to request recorded information held by us. You should identify the information that you want as clearly and concisely as you can, specifying the types of document that you are looking for. You might also consider limiting your request to a narrower period of time, however please note that any request of this kind will likely exceed the appropriate limit due to the need to review individual incidents. 
 
Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, we do not have to answer your question if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of your request. 
 
3.     Please provide Full Details of ALL ‘Passenger Fall Incidents’, which have occurred at West Acton Underground Station over the last FIVE YEARS, together with the number of any Associated Claims, and details of any Financial Settlements made in respect of them.
 
There have been 11 passenger fall incidents at West Acton Station between 2019 - 2023. Between 1 January 2019 and 22 April 2024 one claim was brought. This claim was denied and no payments made.
 
4.     In respect to ALL ‘Passenger Fall Incidents’, which have occurred over the last FIVE YEARS, on TfL Station premises, both Underground and Overground, please provide a FULL Breakdown as to how many out of ALL of the Associated Claims were Successful, and how many were Rejected, by TfL.
 
Of the above matters, 20 claims had been paid, liability has been denied on 336, and 178 are ongoing. The sum of £184,839.17 has been paid across the 20 claims.
 
5.     In respect to ALL ‘Passenger Fall Incidents’, which have occurred over the last FIVE YEARS, on TfL Station premises, both Underground and Overground, please provide a FULL Breakdown as to how many of each category of the Claims at 4. above, were proposed / submitted by Independent Injury Claims Organisations.
 
We do not recognise the term “Independent Injury Claims Organisations”. The following figures are based on our external claims handlers coding of “represented” and “unrepresented” claimants. Referring to the response to Q4 above - of the 20 claims, 12 are coded as “represented” (usually represented by a legal firm). Of the 336 claims, 205 are coded as “unrepresented”. 
 
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
 
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

 

Yours sincerely 

 

Gemma Jacob
Senior FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London