Diabetic man made personal injury claim after Taser incident

Posted 10/03/2010

It has been reported that a diabetic man has become the first in the UK to claim personal injury compensation after being shocked by a Taser stun gun.

Nicholas Gaubert had been on a bus from Leeds city centre in July 2006 when he fell into a diabetic coma, the Daily Mail reports.

However, his unconscious state led to the bus driver fearing that he was a terrorist and the police were called.

When Mr Gaubert failed to respond to their requests to put his hands where officers could see them, he was shot twice with a Taser.

The victim came around in the back of a police van and it was only then that he managed to tell them he was a diabetic and was dangerously ill.

Although he was taken to hospital and successful treated, Mr Gaubert claimed that the outcome could have been worse and launched a personal injury compensation claim against West Yorkshire Police.

The Daily Mail reports that he has since received a six-figure payout and a full apology from the officers involved.

Police officers are increasingly using Tasers as an alternative to guns, but concerns about their safety have been raised following several injuries in the US and Canada.