Personal Injury specialists at Irwin Mitchell have helped man who suffered a serious back injury at work to claim over £31,000 in compensation from his employer.
Our client was working as a grounds-man when the incident occurred in December 2009. He was working with his Team Leader to replace a dog bin which had been vandalised.
The bin had been set on fire so was mostly melted, leaving the spike that the bin is attached to in the ground. The spike needed removing and replacing in order to fit a new bin. This was a task that neither our client nor his Team Leader had carried out before.
The ground the spike was in was loose gravel and so our client tried rocking the spike back and forth in an attempt to loosen it but this did not work. His Team Leader then tried tying a strap around the spike and attaching this to their van to try to pull the spike out, but this didn’t work either.
The pair then decided to knock the spike further into the ground so it could be covered over. They did this using a sledgehammer. The Team Leader began this task and then our client took over. It was then that the man felt a sudden sharp pain in his lower back, shooting down his left leg. The level of pain caused him to drop the hammer.
Our client went to hospital where he was diagnosed as suffering a prolapsed disc. The injury was so severe that surgery was required.
Following the accident and during his recovery, the man was in a lot of pain and unable to do much. He was unable to work for two-and-a-half years and relied heavily on friends and family to look after him.
Irwin Mitchell represented the man and recently secured over £31,000 in compensation for him, which was agreed in an out-of-court settlement.
If you or a loved one has suffered a back injury while at work and it wasn't your fault, our specialist accident at work claims team could help you to claim compensation. Read our Back Injury at Work Compensation page for more information.
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