Injured fisherman fights for his 40%

Wednesday 2nd April 2008, 2:29PM BST.

A FISHERMAN who lost his right hand in an accident while working off Guernsey’s coast was not negligent in any way, his advocate told the Court of Appeal yesterday.

Paul Stone had been found to be 40% responsible by three Jurats at an earlier civil hearing. But he is appealing against that, claiming that the blame was all skipper Mark Hickman’s.

The ruling meant that any compensation that Mr Stone received – a sum has yet to be agreed – would be reduced by 40%. His advocate, Jeremy Wessels, told the court that the only evidence given during the trial to suggest his client contributed to the negligence was that he had picked up a crab pot that had fallen off the ‘shooting table’ when he should have known, as an experienced fisherman, to leave it.