A former prison officer, working in a London young offender’s institute, has been forced to quit her job after sustaining a debilitating injury whilst at work. The officer, who has chosen to remain unnamed, was eventually awarded the sum of £140 thousand in compensation, following a six year battle with her ex-employer. Her solicitors argued that the prison service was to blame following an altercation between two inmates that should never have been allowed to occur. The officer had warned colleagues that the two inmates were on ‘separate unlock’, meaning that they should never be allowed to meet, however her warning was ignored and the two were released from their cells at the same time. A fight between the two ensued and the officer was obliged to restrain one of the inmates. The inmate pushed the officer towards a stairwell and the officer fell, landing on her right hand and bending it forward. She was in so much pain that she was rushed to hospital.
Unable to move hand for a year
The hospital carried out a series of x-rays and concluded that the officer was suffering from a neurological condition known as complex regional pain syndrome. The condition meant that she was unable to move her hand for around a year.
Although the officer returned to work after four weeks recuperation, she found that she was still unable to carry out the light duties assigned to her. She was offered alternative employment, however as this meant a drop in salary of around £10 thousand, she could not afford to accept the post, forcing her to leave the prison service.
Initially the prison service would not accept responsibility for her disability, however through the persistence of her solicitor, six years later she was awarded her compensation in an out-of-court settlement.
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