Firefighter suing East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service for half a million pounds

Glenn Stevens, 50, tore a tendon in his left elbow as he helped colleagues lift a man who had severe weight issues, court documents say.

The man had become stuck on his mobility scooter behind some railings, according to court documents.

As he and two colleagues helped the man on the South Downs near Brighton, Mr Stevens heard a tearing sound in his elbow and felt excruciating pain.

Now Mr Stevens, of Eastbourne, is suing his employers East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service for damages after the incident on May 24, 2017.

Mr Stevens accuses the fire service of negligence and blames them for his injuries.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has admitted full liability for what happened, according to a High Court writ which has just been made public.

However, if an agreement over the amount Mr Stevens is entitled to receive as damages cannot be reached, a judge will be called in to assess the level of damages he is entitled to.

Mr Stevens says in the writ he suffered severe pain after the incident. He says he underwent physiotherapy which led to a slow recovery in his symptoms before they plateaued.

The writ says he has been left with tenderness and pain and a loss of power in his left arm.

This, he says, restricts his ability to carry out heavy lifting tasks, or ride a motorcycle over long distances. These symptoms are said to be permanent.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service declined to comment.

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