On what was a seemingly otherwise ‘normal’ day at work, our client – a 46-year-old male police officer – had his life changed after suffering injuries when he was assaulted by a suspect he was arresting.
Whilst reprimanding a suspect our client was unexpectedly assaulted, causing ligament damage to the knee that may never fully heal and may now hamper him for the rest of his life.
Sadly, due to the assault in question, our client is no longer able to undertake active police duty and from now on will only be assigned desk work.
The Legal Case
After contacting Hudgell Solicitors, our specialist criminal injuries expert Tracy Thames worked closely with our client to ensure he received the best outcome.
Cases where police officers or prison officers are the victim of an assault can be problematic due to them working in jobs where the potential for injury is known.
In these cases, it is imperative that the offender has been charged with an assault against the officer.
After considering the evidence and expert opinion surrounding the assault, we were able to submit a claim to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) for the injuries suffered.
The CICA’s initial offer was for £1,500.
Our legal specialist did not think that this offer was sufficient and challenged the offer.
Tracy submitted a review to the CICA on the basis of the level of our client’s ongoing symptoms and potentially life-changing impact on his ability to continue active service as a police officer.
During the process, our client was referred to a medical expert who confirmed the extent of his injuries – a left knee meniscal tear – meaning he may never be pain free again. We were able to submit this as supporting evidence as part of the appeal which led to a subsequent offer of £6,200.
Hudgell Solicitors comment
Criminal Injuries Litigation Executive, Tracy Thames, said: “Cases like these can be tough given the circumstances of our client’s job and the everyday risks this entails.
“In a case like this, however, where our client has suffered potentially life-changing injuries that have changed the course of his day-to-day working life, it was important to me that we fought for the right outcome.
“Whilst the damages received will in no way make up for the assault and the continued knee pain, we were pleased to be able to agree a settlement that might just bring our client some peace of mind.”
