22-27_ARENA_SPRING2016_Arena_A5 11/02/2016 09:56 Page 2 Legal Plus Sheila is thankful for FirstCall Retired Tesco shopworker Sheila Jasper would have lost up to £1,250 had she used a high street solicitor after she was injured in an accident outside her home. Thankfully she contacted FirstCall and kept every penny of her £5,000 compensation award. “My union rep Julie Day told me Usdaw members are covered for accidents and injuries 24/7 no matter where it happened,” said Sheila, 63, from Loscoe in Derbyshire. “She gave me the number to ring FirstCall, her advice was priceless. “It couldn’t have been easier, I gave my details and then I was put straight through to a solicitor who took care of my claim from start to finish. “There were no hidden costs. It would have been a completely different story if I’d gone to a high street solicitor or one of those companies who advertise on TV. “Not only would I have had to pay an Insurance premium but they would have taken 22 arena – looking after you and your family up to 25 per cent of my settlement just to cover their expenses. I also would have had to pay upfront for medical reports too. “With Usdaw everything was free, I kept all of the money and all my legal costs were paid by the union. It didn’t cost me a penny.” The accident happened in August 2012. Sheila broke a metatarsal bone in her left foot when she stepped into a pothole in the road outside her house. The union pursued a claim against Sheila’s local council but they denied liability and court proceedings were commenced. However the council decided to offer Sheila a settlement, which she accepted and her case was closed in December 2015. “I had a team of professionals on my side, I even had the advice of a Barrister. “Without Usdaw and FirstCall I would not have been able to finance a claim myself.”