It was reported on BBC News that a custody officer, who whilst at work, suffered a bite injury from a HIV positive asylum seeker, has been awarded £100,000 in compensation.
The custody officer, who is also a war veteran, suffered the attack whilst at work in Gatwick Airport. As a result of the attack the officer needed 3 operations to repair the wound, and also had to wait 6 months to discover whether she was clear for HIV.
It later emerged that the detainee had bitten another officer only days earlier, and an error meant that other officers dealing with her were not informed, and precautionary measures were not put in place.
The custody officer left her job as a result of the incident, causing her both physical and psychiatric injuries. It was also reported that the incident has had a devastating effect on both her professional and social life. The officer received the compensation in an out of court settlement.
The Defendant has reported that they have implemented the necessary recommendations to improve safety standards.
At The Injury Lawyers, we realise that bringing a claim against your employer can be a challenging and mentally difficult task to achieve; this is why lawyers such as us are here to act on your behalf. Plus, employers should have insurance in place to deal with such situations occurring.
Employers have a duty of care over their employees, so if you feel that they have breached this in some way, and thus caused you to have an accident and suffer injuries, then you may have a claim for compensation.
The levels of compensation that the custody officer received above reflects the severity of her injuries, the effect the incident and injuries had on all aspects of her life, and that she has left her career as a result. This reflects how any accident at work claim would be valued, even though the amounts that the officer received are not the norm.
If you have suffered an accident at work, it is advisable to gain the advice of a specialist personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. It is also advisable to inform your employer of the accident, as an accident report may need to be filled out, and they may want to rectify any safety issues so that the same thing does not happen to someone else.
