Woman Left Needing Leg Amputated

An international distribution firm has been fined £20,000 after one of its employees lost her leg when she was hit by a reversing forklift truck.

NYK Logistics (UK) Ltd, of Northampton, was also ordered to pay £5,941 costs after admitting breaches of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 at Derby Crown Court.

The accident happened on March 24, 2006 at the company's premises in Derby. Admin worker Lisa Ramos, 32, was carrying paperwork across a warehouse when she was struck by a 2.5-ton forklift truck reversing out of a loading bay. Her injuries were so severe that she had to have her left leg amputated below the knee.

Andrew Turner, the Health and Safety Executive's principal inspector for Derbyshire, said: "Although the company had identified that pedestrians were at risk from moving vehicles, and taken some steps to try to minimise this risk, it had become commonplace for pedestrians to walk through areas where forklift trucks manoeuvred and reversed.

"This incident... could have been avoided if NYK had taken a few simple measures such as ensuring Ms Ramos' duties didn't involve her having to walk across a vehicle loading area or putting barriers in place to prevent pedestrian access."

Copyright © PA Business 2008

David Urpeth from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: This was a horrific but easily avoided work accident.

"It is no good employers identifying risks if they fail to then protect employees from those risks. In such circumstances the result will be an industrial accident.

"I claim compensation for workers who suffer injury in work accidents."

If you've lost a leg as a result of a work accident, find out about amputation claims.

Our serious injury solicitors could help you claim compensation if you have suffered an injury at work that resulted in the amputation of a limb. See our Amputation Claims page or Workplace Accident Claims page for more information.