Tameside Council is no longer running scared. Instead of sitting waiting in their offices for the next solicitor carrying a thick folder demanding money for an illegitimate personal injury claim, they've gone pro-active and their strategy is already paying out dividends any stock market investor would go goggle-eyed for.

Between 2000 and 2002, government councils were wearing target boards and the "no win, no fee" lawyers were taking aim. It was easy prey for them since the government officials had no plan in place to deal with the onslaught of personal injury claims.

People being injured on roads, walkways or any other government property within the council area were running to solicitors and the council was paying out. And boy were they paying out! In 2001 alone, Tameside Council dished out a whopping £1.6 million.

It took the establishment of a few internal controls and some pure old fashioned guts, but the Tameside officials have turned the situation around and reduced the payments they made towards personal injury claims to £40,053 in 2002, a fraction of the year before saving taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds.

The most important change, though it seems obvious, was that the council decided to contest the claims. This move alone has resulted in them winning nine out of ten of the lawsuits. Now 90% of claimants filing suits for accidents caused by falls on roads and sidewalks win nothing in court.

The other important change is that the council has set up a rota for routine maintenance of roads and highways in the area. Now when they go to court they can show proof that they have done the best that they possibly can to reduce accidents. In this way, the courts are finding it difficult to put the blame for the accidents on them.

Personal injury specialist, Martin Cockx, was quoted in the Manchester Evening News as saying, "We have come against Tameside council and it has a hard-line approach. It is not in our interest to take on cases we have no prospect of winning because it will put us out of business".