Specialist solicitors at Irwin Mitchell’s Sheffield office helped a man claim £26,412 in compensation following a serious hand injury at work.

In June 2009, our client was working in a warehouse as a Stores Manager. As part of his role, he was required to take the delivery of brake discs and drums which arrive from suppliers in standard cardboard boxes. The contents can often be very heavy, weighing up to 30kg. On the day of his accident our client was moving boxes from pallets. As he picked up one of the boxes the handle fell away and broke causing the box to drop. As the box fell, it took our client’s right hand with it, causing the hand to become trapped against one of the drums.

Due to the injury to his hand, he attended the local Walk-In Centre where he was advised that he had injured the tendons in his right hand and wrist and these would recover over the coming weeks. Unfortunately this was not the case, so he went back to the Walk-In Centre where he was given a wrist brace and told it may take some months for the injury to heal. As a result of this, our client was allowed to go back to work.

The injuries continued, so our client chose to attend his GP, where he was advised to take a week off work to rest his wrist. Despite of this, there was still no improvement. After going back to his GP, he was sent to Accident and Emergency where he required x-rays which found he had a broken bone in his wrist and as a result was signed off work.

Our client was required to undergo surgery to his wrist, where a number of bones were fused together to assist the healing of the broken bone and to strengthen the wrist. He also had a course of physiotherapy to assist his recovery.

He was advised he could return to work on light duties; however, his employers had no such work available. As a result he could not return as he was unable to perform his full duties.

The injury to the wrist was in the client’s dominant hand, therefore he has required a considerable amount of assistance from his son with household chores and personal care.

The Defendant admitted liability and due to the injury sustained and loss of earnings £26,412 in compensation was secured in an out of Court settlement.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury at work, our serious injury solicitors could help you claim compensation. Visit our Accident At Work Claims page for more information.

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