Burns Compensation for North Devon Roofer

Bideford based personal injury solicitor, Mike Clarke reports on another successful compensation claim won by Slee Blackwell Solicitors

Slee Blackwell Solicitors have recently succeeded in winning compensation for Mr Victor Barrell, a retired roofer who lives in Northam, near Bideford in North Devon.  In August 2009, Mr Barrell was repairing a flat roof at his daughter-in-law’s property in Barnstaple when the hired gas bottle and torch he was using caught fire, probably because of a faulty regulator on the bottle.  He managed to kick the equipment off the roof, but suffered burns to his arms and face, and adjoining buildings were damaged by the fire.  He was rushed to the burns unit at Frenchay hospital in Bristol and it took many months of painful treatment before he recovered.

Mike Clarke, a personal injury solicitor at Slee Blackwell’s Bideford office, handled Mr Barrell’s compensation claim on a no win, no fee basis. He commented:
 “This was an unusual accident and initially NFU Mutual, the insurers for the hire shop, denied there was any fault with the equipment.  Our client was a very experienced worker and had done nothing wrong.  After specialist expert evidence was obtained on the bottle and torch, the insurers accepted that it must have been faulty and we negotiated an amicable settlement of the claim.  I am pleased to say that Mr Barrell received 100% of his compensation, with no deductions or anything to pay. He made a very good recovery and was lucky to have escaped far more serious injury.”

For help and advice with accident claims in North Devon contact Mike Clarke at our Bideford office. Mike is one of the region’s most experienced personal injury lawyers and is able to meet clients at any of our North Devon offices in Barnstaple, Braunton and South Molton, as well as Bideford itself. Mike offers free case assessments and is willing to visit people at home or in hospital where injuries are serious.
Email Mike at mike.clarke@sleeblackwell.co.uk