Prison Officer Assault Compensation

Assaults on prison officers have reportedly reached a record high in England and Wales, according to a recent news report with 7,957 assaults on staff in the 12 months to December 2021, almost unchanged from the previous 12 months. Prisons that have failed to keep their officers safe could be held liable to pay out compensation in many of these assault cases. Talk to us about prison officer assault compensation, we are here to help you.

Jefferies Solicitors may be able to help you claim compensation if you are the victim of an assault by a prisoner. Call us today on 0800 342 3206 to discuss your claim or feel free to get in touch with our friendly team online.

Common prison officer assault injuries

Prison officers are susceptible to a wide range of injuries whilst operating in such an unpredictable workplace environment. Some of the most common injuries they might sustain from an attack are:

• Bite wounds
• Internal injuries
• Stab wounds
• Fractures/broken bones
• Broken teeth
• Concussion

Other types of accidents involving prison officers

The various scenarios which lead to the injuries above often include breaking up fights between inmates, controlling prison riots and restraining inmates. If the standard of training is low or the prison is not well maintained other injuries may occur such as:

• Slips and trips resulting from slippery or poorly maintained flooring
• Muscular aches or back injuries due to improper manual handling

You should get in touch with us if you suspect that you have a claim. One of our personal injury lawyers will be able to walk you through the legal process step by step.

Useful evidence in a prison staff compensation claim

All prisons have a responsibility to look after their workers and must take reasonable steps to ensure that the workplace is safe. To pursue a compensation claim it will be important to provide evidence to show that the organisation – in this case, a prison – has committed an act of negligence. The evidence may be required to show that the employer:

• Was unaware of an inmate with a history of violence
• Ignored previous violent behaviour and failed to implement measures to prevent future assaults from occurring
• Failed to carry out an appropriate risk assessment
• Failed to implement the risk assessment

You could also have the right to claim if the organisation you work for has failed to provide sufficient training or protective equipment. Each prison officer should be trained to diffuse volatile situations and they should be given suitable safety equipment to help reduce the chance of suffering a serious injury. There may grounds for a compensation claim against your employer if they have failed to take these steps.

AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION

All personal injury cases are unique and so the amount of compensation that is awarded in each case is also unique. The amount of compensation that is awarded is determined by looking at two distintc factors – general damages and special damages.

GENERAL DAMAGES

The pain and suffering that your injuries have caused is the main factor that is used to determine how much compensation you are owed. This will usually be determined by undergoing a medical examination, from which a report is created that outlines the length of time the injuries will take to heal as well as their severity.

Our compensation calculator gives an indication of how much you might be entitled to based upon your injuries. Jefferies Solicitors will take these different details relating to your injury into account when calculating how much compensation you should be awarded, which will then be put forward to the opposing side and the judge.

SPECIAL DAMAGES

However, compensation also takes into account any financial losses that you might have suffered as a result of your injuries, such as a loss of earnings due to being unable to return to work. If you have had to pay for treatment or travel to treatment, compensation may also be able to cover this as well. Therefore, you should keep any receipts or other documents that help to outline the extent of your financial losses, as caused by your accident/injuries.

Why should I make a claim?

It is important to make a claim in order to prevent your employer from committing future acts of negligence. A successful claim will potentially help to improve the working conditions within the prison for you and your colleagues. Moreover, you cannot legally be dismissed from your position for pursuing a claim against your employer. If this happens you could be entitled to make an unfair dismissal claim and should contact an employment lawyer.

How to claim compensation?

At Jefferies Solicitors, we have an expert team of personal injury lawyers who have a wide variety of experience dealing with personal injury claims, including prison officer assault compensation claims. We’ll guide you through the entire legal process to ensure that you are awarded the compensation you deserve.

To learn more and to discuss your potential claim in confidence, contact our team on 0800 342 3206. Alternatively, complete our online contact form to arrange an initial no-obligation telephone consultation with a member of our expert team.