Free sperm donation and storage for service personnel facing deployment

Transcription

1 HM News The quarterly newsletter by Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd September 2013 Welcome to the summer issue of HM News. What a busy few months it has been! In this issue we cover an important success for the firm at the Court of Appeal, how we are playing our part in the launch of a groundbreaking new assistive technology initiative, our campaigning on behalf of the Armed Forces and our latest charity fundraising plans. In October this year, Hilary Meredith Solicitors will celebrate its tenth anniversary. We have come a long way in that time, recovering millions of pounds in compensation for clients and helping to change hundreds of lives for the better. Here s to more of the same over the next ten years! All the best Hilary Free sperm donation and storage for service personnel facing deployment For example, the US government has policies such as allowing male soldiers to donate and preserve sperm prior to deployment and issuing groin protectors. Our campaign argues for similar policies to be implemented in the UK and our online petition has received over 1000 signatures. As part of the ongoing campaign, we were pleased to meet with Consultant Peter R Brinsden, Medical Director at Bourn Hall Clinic ACU, Cambridge and are delighted to announce that Mr Brinsden has agreed a scheme which will enable all service personnel facing deployment to receive free sperm donation and storage. The offer includes counselling, legal advice and free storage of up to 3 semen samples, with no continued storage charges. We are pleased to announce the progress in our campaign for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to implement policies to protect our troops against the ever increasing threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). We launched this crusade after being instructed by Sergeant Rick Clement, who sustained catastrophic injuries whilst serving in Afghanistan in After stepping on a roadside IED, Rick suffered life changing injuries, including losing both his legs and severe internal injuries which now prevent him from having children. Rick s injuries had life-changing consequences and we strongly believe the Government ought to do everything within its power to protect and reduce the risks of such injuries. Our campaign does not stop here however. We are now looking to broadcast the existence of the scheme nationally and persuade the Ministry of Defence to provide details of the scheme in their pre-deployment pack of information. It is vital that serving personnel are made aware of all the options available to them in order to make informed decisions prior to deployment. We also continue our fight for the other aspects of our campaign to be introduced. Such policies include:- Groin protectors to be issued as standard kit The removal of the current cap on Armed Forces Compensation Scheme ( AFCS ) awards which is currently 570,000 The removal of the sliding, discounted scale for additional injuries through the AFCS as soldiers are more likely than not to suffer multiple injuries arising out of the same incident The removal of the word compensation from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme as this reference is misleading

2 Leading military solicitor joins Hilary Meredith Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd has made a significant new hire with the appointment of former Territorial Army Colonel and military specialist Mark Fielding as a partner. Mark, who was previously partner and head of the military department at Roythornes Solicitors, will split his time between the firm s Wilmslow and London offices. Said CEO Hilary Meredith who has over 25 years experience in pursuing legal actions on behalf of the Armed Forces: We are thrilled Mark has joined the firm. He is one of the country s leading military solicitors, and having previously been a member of the Territorial Army for twenty years, has practical experience as well as legal expertise. Added Hilary: Mark has represented hundreds of military personnel and their families. He was involved in Gulf War Syndrome claims and more recently green on blue fatalities in Afghanistan. His appointment strengthens our position as the country s leading military law firm. Commenting on his decision to join Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd, Mark Fielding, who is also a member of the Royal British Legion Solicitors Group, said: I m delighted to join Hilary Meredith Solicitors. The firm has an outstanding reputation amongst armed forces service personnel and I am looking forward to playing my part in our ongoing expansion and development. Court Of Appeal success in high profile military case A Royal Marine who won an award for bravery after suffering horrendous injuries in Afghanistan has been successful at the Court of Appeal in his claim for damages against the Ministry of Defence. Thomas Birch, of Trinity Way, Heanor, was a young Lance Corporal when the Land Rover he was driving on a mountain track in Helmand Province plunged 100 feet down a mountainside. The 25-year-old suffered debilitating skull, brain and internal injuries in the accident. Instructing Gary Boyd of Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd, he launched legal action against the MoD, claiming that a fault in the vehicle was to blame and he had been allowed to drive without a licence or military permit. However, the High Court dismissed his claim last July, with Mr Justice Blair finding that the crash could not be put down to a mechanical defect and that Mr Birch must take responsibility for his own decision to drive. Now Lord Justice Longmore, sitting with Lord Justice Tomlinson and Mr Justice Lewison has overturned the High Court decision and allowed the Appeal. They also agreed that Tom was not negligent in any way. Commenting on the successful appeal, Hilary Meredith said: We are delighted Tom s appeal has been successful. The judges have also agreed that there was no contributory negligence which is important and correct. We felt very strongly that the Judge s findings in the High Court were wrong as he overlooked evidence in making his Judgment. Evidence was given by another Marine in Tom s unit, confirming that he frequently drove without the military licence required to do so, to the knowledge of the commanding officer. The failure to recognise a breach of duty of care on the part of the MOD in this case is quite shocking, particularly given the age of the claimant. Tom was 17 years old when he joined the army and his parents signed over their parental care to the MOD. He was only 18 when this terrible event occurred, robbing him of his army career and a normal life and returning him broken to his parents care. Today s decision is the right one. Tom was not to blame for what happened in any way at all. We can now help him move on with his life.

3 Firm raises 6k for Royal British Legion at annual golf event Hilary Meredith Solicitors recently presented a cheque of 6,000 to the Legion s War Pensions and Compensations service and Independent Inquest Service. The money was raised at the Hilary Meredith Golf Classic 2013 event arranged in association with Silk 106.9FM, at De Vere, Mottram Hall, Cheshire. Mark Lawrenson was one of a number of celebrities who played on the day Sponsoring the Country s leading blind golfer We are delighted to announce the sponsorship of the country s leading blind golfer, Billy McAllister, as he prepares for next year s World Championships in Australia. Billy took up blind golf three years ago when he lost his sight due to diabetes. Despite never having played the game before he lost his sight, Billy has made amazing progress and was last year voted player of the Year in English Blind Golf and selected for the England International team. Said Hilary Meredith, CEO at Hilary Meredith Solicitors: I met Billy at a golf day hosted by the Motor Accident Solicitors Society where he impressed us all with the high standard of play including scoring an eagle on one of the holes. It would be a travesty if, having qualified for next year s World Championships in Australia, he was unable to play due to a lack of funding. I am therefore delighted to sponsor Billy and would appeal to other individuals or organisations to do the same. Said Billy McAllister, who is currently top of the England Blind Golf Order of Merit table: After many hours hard work to improve my game during the winter months, I am honoured to have qualified for next year s World Golf Championships in Australia. Hilary s sponsorship will help to make it all possible. Father-of-two Billy took up golf to help him deal with the trauma of losing his sight and says it has kept him going.

4 Key Partner Appointment We are delighted to welcome military specialist Grant Evatt to the firm as a partner. Grant will be based in the firm s London office and joins Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd from Blake Lapthorn. He advises on a wide range of personal injury claims, with a particular expertise and interest in serious work accident claims and those involving members of the Armed Forces in relation to accidents on and off duty, together with advice on the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). Grant has a long-standing association with the military having joined the Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Artillery aged just 16. After 12-months basic training he volunteered for Commando Forces. Grant and 2 others from a group of 30 successfully passed the All Arms Commando Course at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines and he was posted to 8 Battery 29 Commando Regiment RA in Plymouth. Grant s new career as a solicitor has been equally successful. A member of the Law Society s specialist personal injury panel since May 2005, Grant has Senior Litigator status with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), is the co-ordinator of APIL s Military Special Interest Group and is an Honorary Legal Adviser to forces charity SSAFA. Commenting on his decision to join Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd, Grant, who was shortlisted in the Outstanding Case of the Year category at the 2012 Eclipse Proclaim Personal Injury Awards for work in SG v Hewitt at the Court of Appeal, said: I am absolutely delighted to join the team at Hilary Meredith Solicitors. This was an easy decision for me on both a professional and personal level. Hilary and I share the very same honest values and strong desire to achieve justice for the injured and disabled in our communities. I can t wait to make a start. Said Hilary Meredith: Grant is a key addition to our military team and we are thrilled to welcome him to the firm. A passionate advocate for justice he has won millions of pounds for military clients, often overcoming the odds. His drive, determination and passion is clear for all to see. A qualified Platoon weapon s instructor, military skiing instructor, parachutist and diver, Grant proudly served his country worldwide for 10 years before a knee injury brought his military career to a premature end. Grant Evatt is the second senior military specialist to join Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd in recent months. Earlier this year the firm appointed former TA Colonel and military solicitor Mark Fielding as a partner. Hilary Meredith on BBC Radio On 1 August 2013, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a documentary called Death in the Brecon Beacons, investigating whether deaths during military training can be avoided. Hilary Meredith appeared as part of the programme, commenting on her work with the military and challenging the conventionally-held belief that it is only soldiers in battle that are exposed to injury. In July, three members of the Territorial Army died after attempting a special forces selection course in the Brecon Beacons on one of the hottest days of the year. Investigations into their deaths are still ongoing, but people who have gone through the process believe that the recruits were marching from point to point, carrying heavy rucksacks in a gruelling test of their fitness and navigation skills. They would have been carrying water, emergency flares and GPS tracking devices. They want to sweep these people under the carpet, said Hilary, But I think when you have made stupid mistakes you need to own up to them and take responsibility for them. The report found that around 1% of the army were injured during 2010/11 in training exercises this figure is higher than the number of police injured on duty in the UK. Over the past decade ( ) the number of service personnel killed in training is 55, with 10 killed in 2004 alone.

5 Improving life after brain injury through assistive technology This groundbreaking assistive technology changes lives for the better. It enables our clients, where medical evidence supports this, to live in their homes securely and independently after brain injury. Hilary Meredith, CEO, Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd. Hilary Meredith Solicitors is delighted to partner with Ability F1rst on the launch of a groundbreaking new assistive technology initiative which provides independence, security and peace of mind in the home. Controlled via ipad, this new system enables people who lack full mobility to open doors, answer telephones and intercoms, and operate a host of electronic devices from lamps and televisions to motorised chairs and beds from wherever they are. The provision of this technology can now be built in to your compensation claim, with Hilary Meredith Solicitors already using it to improve the lives of clients who have suffered brain injury Text myclaim to Meredith House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AR Central Court, 25 Southampton Buildings, London WC2A 1AL In partnership with

6 Scaring off the opposition! Hilary Meredith Solicitors has been crowned the winner of the Best Business Scarecrow category at the 2013 Wilmslow Scarecrow Festival. Associate Solicitor Sarah Lincoln showed off her creative side with the 7ft gingerbread man known as Ben. Assisted by a team of fellow creative minds, the scarecrow took Sarah three days to make, and beat off over 100 other entries to take first place. Second place in the Best Business Scarecrow competition was Multi-York, Yorkshire Building Society came third and HSBC picked up fourth place. The annual event, organised by Wilmslow Dean Rotary Club raised over 2000 for the organisation, which they will use to support local charities and causes such as Oakenclough Children s Centre and Arthritis Research UK. Hilary Meredith said: We are delighted to have won the scarecrow competition this year. The event raises much-needed funds that will really help to make a difference in the area and I would like to congratulate Sarah and the team on such a fantastic job. Meredith House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AR Central Court, 25 Southampton Buildings, London WC2A 1AL Telephone Hilary Meredith Solicitors Limited is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales. SRA ID number: