After suffering severe personal injuries when his squad car rolled over from hitting a kerb, one South Tyneside police officer has stated he will make a personal injury compensation claim against his employers.
PC Christopher Pearson, aged thirty eight, says the car that he had been assigned had many different faults according to his car accident claim. PC Pearson added that he lost control of his vehicle whilst in pursuit of a suspect due to the car’s loose wheel nuts and worn tyre.
The Shields Gazette newspaper recently reported that PC Pearson suffered a whiplash injury in the incident as well as injuries to his back and his knee when his vehicle rolled several times after hitting a kerb, before coming to a halt and filling with smoke. The police officer is still on restricted duties today, despite the incident occurring nearly five years prior.
The passenger in the squad car, PC Emma Wilkinson, had been only weeks away from her wedding celebration at the time. Thirty seven year old PC Wilkinson suffered a serious injury to her back in the incident which has done much to prevent her from taking part in many front line police activities.
Each officer has since launched a separate personal injury claim against Northumbria Police for compensation. The accident took place in August of 2006 in County Durham in Front Street, South Hetton.
Northumbria Police have refused to admit any liability for the incident in either PC Wilkinson’s or PC Pearson’s cases.
According to industry statistics personal injury claims involving car accidents number in the thousands every year in the UK. Many of those injured in serious car accidents end up with life-changing disabilities or even lose their life as a result.