Industry news roundup: week ended 8 Apr 2013:
You may think your job is dangerous, but imagine for a minute suffering a personal injury at work whilst working for your local police.
In fact, that’s exactly what’s going on in the news this week, as two police personnel file two unrelated personal injury claims for injures they’ve suffered whilst on the job. In fact one police officer, PC Kelly Jones of Norfolk Police, has actually ended up being criticised after she not only took legal action against her own force but for making a personal injury claim against the owner of a petrol station where PC Jones tripped as she answered a 999 call.
Norfolk Police refused to comment on either of PC Jones’ oustanding injury claims, though it is understood that the police force has admitted liability for one claim. The other claim, concerning the petrol station owner, is still ongoing as well.
Meanwhile, in a completely unrelated case the victim of a burglary is being sued for £10,000 in personal injury compensation by a police officer who supposedly fell into a drain and tore his Achilles tendon as he was investigating the break-in. Shop owner Stuart Lambley called on the police in his time of need, only to have to face a compensation claim made by 34 year old PC Richard Seymour, who seeks to recover loss of overtime – even though the six months PC Seymour was off work as his injuries healed was with full pay.
Mr Lambley is quite outraged, actually, and I really can’t blame him. Where does PC Seymour get off with suing the poor man for £10,000 in lost overtime if he was actually paid as he convalesced? The shop owner is certainly not going to be calling the police any more if he’s going to be in constant danger of being sued by police personnel who respond to his pleas of help, he says.
For what it’s worth, you shouldn’t be signing up to be a police officer if you’re afraid of suffering some harm here and there. Most police forces will take care of their own if they’re injured whilst on the job – such as paying PC Seymour for six months worth of sick leave – so it looks like to me these particular coppers aren’t exactly the type that are interested in protecting and serving anyone but their own best interests.
These are the types of people protecting us and keeping us safe from harm? Have we all become so frail and easily hurt that we have to sue the victims of crimes for compensation? Simply unbelievable.