Irwin Mitchell Solicitors have helped a former garage cashier from Yorkshire claim compensation following an accident at work.
During the course of his employment John suffered a severe cut to his leg on a piece of machinery in September 2009. Part of the machine was very sharp and clearly unfit for purpose, representing a breach of Health and Safety regulations. When John bent down to operate the machine, he described catching his leg against “a razor sharp ridge”, resulting in a cut which was initially ¾ inch long.
As a result of the accident John’s wound unfortunately became infected, ulcerated and he required extensive treatment. His recovery was prolonged due to pre-existing arthritis, he suffered further complications and this caused unpleasant and disfiguring scarring measuring 11cm long by 3cm wide.
The injury was of such severity that John had to stop working at the garage, resulting in loss of earnings, and he eventually required an angioplasty to widen his arteries, restore circulation in the leg and treat the wound. John’s injuries were made worse by the presence of rheumatoid arthritis and his skin was slightly thinned because he was taking steroids to treat this.
Although his former employer denied liability for the matter, the issue proceeded to trial and the Court found in John’s favour.
Through the hard work of Claire Newstead of Irwin Mitchell solicitors, John received in excess of £20,000 compensation for the pain and suffering caused as a result of the accident.
Claire commented that although this was a positive result for our client, “this should highlight the need for employers to be vigilant when exposing their employees to risk in the work place alongside serving as a reminder that they can be held liable for injuries which are exacerbated by an underlying, pre-existing condition”.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury at work, our
personal injury lawyers could help you claim compensation. Visit our
Accident At Work Compensation page for more information.
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