“The free legal support of Thompsons gave me confidence to make a claim that I would never have had otherwise,” says a woman who was injured in a fall at work.
The client suffered a soft tissue injury to her back, neck and right arm after a colleague tripped and fell onto her. The colleague tripped over furniture that should have been cleared away from the corridor they were walking in.
She suffered pain in her back, neck and arm for months as a result of the accident.
The government has proposed to double the small claims limit for workplace accidents from £1,000 to £2,000, which could leave hundreds of thousands of people without access to free or affordable legal support each year.
Talking about her injury and the proposals, the client said: “Because my employer left the corridor in a mess, I was unnecessarily injured. For me, the pain took ages to go away, making daily tasks a lot more difficult.
“I wish that the government would appreciate the real impact its proposals will have on the average person. People will be put off making a claim if getting the backing of legal experts like Thompsons is made more difficult or costly.”
Tom Jones, head of policy at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “The government says there is a problem with whiplash in road accident claims, yet its proposals are far wider reaching than just road collisions. They will affect people injured at work through no fault of their own - such as our client - yet the government seems adamant on pushing these proposals through nonetheless.”