A member has turned to Unite Legal Services after he dislocated his knee when he lost his balance on a loose pavement slab in Southampton.
An inspection of the pavement two days before his accident had found no issues, but witness reports showed that the slab had been loose for months before. It was fixed the day after the accident.
Jennie Formby, South East Regional Secretary at Unite the union, said: “Cases such as this highlight the importance of having expert union legal guidance, as court hearings can be very complex and costly procedures.
“This was a non-work accident but, as a member of Unite the union, he was able to start his personal injury claims process through our legal service and secure 100 per cent of the compensation, without any deductions.”
The dislocation to the member’s knee meant he couldn’t work for more than two months and, while he recovered, exercising, getting dressed and other activities became more difficult. He contacted Unite Legal Services for legal support.
The member said: “Having the support of Unite Legal Services was very useful – without it I wouldn’t have had the confidence to make a compensation claim. Even when I returned to work I had to do so on a part-time basis, so the few months after my accident were tough financially. Thankfully, the compensation helped me during this period.
“I would urge anyone who isn’t already a member to join a trade union, as it made the legal process a lot easier for me.”
