A paramedic, who sought to treat a member of the public whilst off duty and ended up beingassaulted by two men, has received £9,000 in compensation with the help of Thompsons Solicitors and his union, UNISON.

The man from Spalding, who works for NHS organisation the East Midlands Ambulance Service, was on his way home from work when he witnessed the assault. Still wearing his paramedic uniform, he attempted to break up the attack and give first aid to the victim but the attackers turned on the paramedic and punched him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

His jaw was displaced and broken in three places, which led to surgery and having to have a metal plate in his jaw and chin. As a result of his attack, he also lost a number of teeth and was unable to work for three months.

Thompsons Solicitors were instructed to investigate a claim on the UNISON member’s behalf. The firm were successful in securing compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which allows victims of violent crime to claim compensation for injury.

His bravery was rewarded when he received a Sheriff of Lincolnshire award, which commended his bravery and public spiritedness. He also received a commendation from the chief executive at his NHS trust.

The UNISON member said: “When I saw the attack nobody else was intervening, but I knew I couldn’t just walk away. Although I was badly assaulted, I know I did the right thing, and it was an honour to be recognised by the Sheriff of Lincolnshire.

“The support I received from both my trade union and Thompsons Solicitors has been brilliant; many people may not realise that their union support goes above and beyond incidents that happen in work.

“I would urge everyone to join a trade union, their support has certainly proved invaluable to me.”

Helen Black, UNISON regional secretary in the East Midlands, said: “This man bravely put himself in front of danger to try and help a victim of a violent assault, and as a consequence endured months of pain. We are very pleased to have supported our member throughout his claim to ensure he got something for what he went through.”

Lisa Shaw, from Thompsons Solicitors, said: “This was a shocking and unprovoked act of violence, which resulted in our client enduring months of discomfort and disruption to his life.

“The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme is now a pathetic shadow of its former self in terms of compensation but we are pleased to have got the maximum we could from it for this brave UNISON member.”