Police officers receive £3m in compensation
Posted: 24th July 2014
Posted in: Animal Attacks Bicycle Accidents Faulty Work Equipment Workplace Injuries 
New figures have revealed that Police officers receive an estimated £3million in compensation for minor injures every year. Injuries in the last year ranged from officers falling off bikes to being bitten by dogs. According to legislation, however, Police forces are only supposed to pay damages if more could have been done to prevent the accident from happening in the first place. This would involve ensuring that the work environment was safe and that protective clothing suited the nature of the work.
The biggest compensation sum received was £138,000 by an officer from Cheshire who suffered injuries while breaking down a door. This also cost the force an additional £87,000 in legal fees. The force in Cheshire also paid out to an officer who suffered with work-related stress, providing them with £20,000 in compensation, and £2,600 to an officer injured by a faulty bicycle.
“Not doing enough”
Chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, Jonathan Isaby, said: “Senior police officials need to bring the ridiculously high compensation bill down … Either they’re not doing enough to deliver a good working environment for staff or they’re not fighting spurious claims hard enough.”
A spokesperson from the Police Federation of England, however, argued that these compensation payouts are minor when put into context. He argued that Police are entitled to the same protection as other individuals at work. He said that their job “carries significant risk of injury” and they deserve to be protected.
If you have suffered an injury at work, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us.
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