No-win, no-fee news
26/01/2010

Compensation for lopsided body armour

A community police officer has received a no-win, no-fee payout for a work injury he sustained to his shoulder as a result of ill-fitting body armour.

The second-hand stab vest was given to the 31-year-old to help protect him while working in potentially dangerous areas of Stockton.

However, metal plates in the stab vest were of different weights and sizes, causing the community police officer to suffer uneven stress on his body, eventually developing the shoulder pain for which he would make the no-win, no-fee claim.

A judge hearing the personal injury case at Middlesbrough County Court ordered the council to pay £2,000 injury compensation, in addition to £50,000 legal costs.

However, Stockton Council has said that it will challenge the legal costs ruling.

"We regret that the case has ended in court proceedings," said a statement.

"We have established grievance procedures which have been agreed with the trade unions and staff which aim to resolve problems in an efficient and non-adversarial way.

"We are undertaking an urgent review of why this case avoided those procedures."

The claimant took his no win, no fee action with the assistance a solicitor and of his union, Unison.