Injury compensation claims

A woman who fell and sustained injuries in a fall in her local café has received £75,000 compensation.

This is Wiltshire reports that the unnamed 70 year old suffered the accident back in October 2008. She was entering the Lanterns café in Swindon, when she tripped on a mat that was on the floor.

The slip caused her to fall to the floor and suffer serious injuries. She dislocated a shoulder, broke a bone in her other shoulder, and also sustained a severe injury to her knee. She was rushed to hospital, where she spent over two weeks recovering from her injuries.

The injuries she sustained have had a large affect on her everyday life. She struggles to get up and down stairs, and with any movement that involves bending, such as sitting down.

It is reported that the woman sought compensation for her injuries from the café’s insurers. They admitted liability as the mat was not the right type, causing the trip and the injury.

It is stated that the woman has now received £75,000 in personal injury compensation.

New figures reveal that £12 million in compensation has been awarded to Police officers who have been injured in accidents at work.

The figures published in The Sun newspaper reveal that many of the settlements were for incidents that involved officers tripping or slipping. The request under the Freedom of Information Act highlights cases such as the one for which a worker received £550,000 after being left with chronic pain from a serious fall on an icy car park.

Other cases include an officer who received £14,000 after developing tinnitus – permanent ringing in the ears – from a loud buzzer used in cells. Another serious incident saw a police officer fall down a set of stairs and injure himself. He had slipped on food on the floor that should not have been there.

The figure of £12 million has been paid out since 2006. The force responsible for the most work accident compensation being paid was Greater Manchester, with £2.58 million awarded to their workers since 2006. The largest police force – The Met – paid out £918,575 in the same period. Hertfordshire and West Midlands forces were responsible for the second and third highest payouts. They paid £1.2 million and £1.1 million compensation respectively.

Three companies have been fined after a worker suffered a six and a half metre fall from height accident.

The accident happened to Christopher Carson as he was working as an electrician’s labourer. He was employed by Robert A.S. Crockett and Partners Ltd at the time of the incident in October 2008.

The company had been tasked to fit a lighting system in a construction project at Dundee Cold Stores Ltd. They had been sub-contracted by the company Electroguard Security Systems.

The accident happened when Mr Carson went on the roof to retrieve a cable he needed for the electrical installation. He used a mobile platform to get up to roof level, before walking across the roof to the cable. As he returned to the platform he stood on a skylight and fell through.

Mr Carson fell six and half metres to the concrete floor below, hitting machinery on the way. He suffered serious injury, fracturing his back in numerous places. He also dislocated his shoulder. He is slowly making a recovery, but suffers from severe pain in his back and shoulder.

The accident was investigated by the HSE who found numerous problems with risk assessments. His company, Robert A.S. Crockett and Partners Ltd, had not given him adequate training for working at height. Although Electroguard Security Systems had performed a site risk assessment, it was not specific to this particular job and made available to sub-contractors. Dundee Cold Stores Ltd had not asked any contractors for a risk assessment.

All three companies pleaded guilty to breaking health and safety regulations and were fined recently. Robert A.S. Crockett and Partners Ltd were fined £66,000. Electroguard Security Systems were fined £135,000. Meanwhile, Dundee Cold Stores Ltd were also fined £135,000.

A flooring company has been fined after a man had a large piece of wood puncture his arm.

Worker, Paul Murdoch, was working at Weldon Contracts Ltd in Lincolnshire at the time of the incident in September 2009. He was using a circular ripsaw to cut walnut into boards.

Whilst he was using the saw, a section of the wood – about 90cms long – broke off and punctured his arm. The piece of wood was left in place whilst he was taken to hospital for treatment. Fortunately, despite the injury, he has made a full recovery.

The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive who found that a safety guard had been removed the previous day to perform a different task known as deep cutting. The safety guard and a riving knife – fitted to the saw to prevent the wood kicking back – had not been replaced.

The saw was not suitable to perform the deep cutting procedure, and failing to replace the guards left the saw dangerous and unfit for safe use. Unfortunately, this resulted in the injury to the worker.

Weldon Contracts Ltd were fined £6,000 at court last week after they pleaded guilty to breaking work equipment regulations.

Former workers of a Lancashire mill have been awarded £20,000 in compensation after suffering from hearing loss conditions.

The workers used to be employed as weavers at Perseverance Mill in Burnley, the Burnley Express newspaper is reporting. Most of them spent a significant period of time in the weaving sheds, at the site on Albion Street.

Noise levels in the weaving sheds were beyond what is now considered legally acceptable. The noise levels ranged between 93decibels and 102 decibels.

The newspaper reports that the workers who have gained compensation spent much of their working days at this level of noise without any ear protection. They suffered as a result, developing conditions such as tinnitus and hearing loss.

The newspaper states that the former workers legal team claim that exposure to 102dB level of noise for just ten minutes, would be enough to cause hearing damage.

The mill introduced ear protection for workers, although this came too late for many. The mill shut down back in 2005, although many claims relating to industrial deafness are still ongoing.

A woman is seeking compensation of over £300,000 after a computer stack fell on her foot at work.

Louise Mennell was working at Phones4U when the incident happened over three years ago. In December 2008 she suffered an accident at work when a computer stack fell on her foot.

The impact of the computer stack caused a serious injury to her foot, which has left her permanently disabled. The Eastbourne Herald reports that she has been left with complex regional pain syndrome.

As well as the complex regional pain syndrome, the injury has left her with psychological issues such as depression.

The newspaper reports that she is now seeking over £300,000 in work accident compensation from Phones4U. The company has reportedly admitted liability for the accident but is disputing the amount of compensation due.

Miss Mennell’s team are said to be arguing that the problems she has suffered since the accident have hindered her ability to seek employment in the future.

A man has been awarded £3,500 compensation after choking on a rubber mould he found in a Walkers crisp packet.

The Manchester Evening News reports that the incident happened to 53 year old Peter Collins four years ago. He had purchased a multi-pack of the popular snacks, and had started tucking into a packet of barbeque rib flavoured crisps.

He was eating the crisps without looking when suddenly he started choking and was unable to breathe. The newspaper reports that his life was saved by his son Joshua, who attempted the Heimlich manoeuvre before slapping him on the back to dislodge the obstruction.

They found that what he was choking on was a rubber mould used in the production of the snack. It is the same shape, size and colour as a normal crisp. Medical tests found that chemicals from the mould had leaked into his stomach, and he had to take tablets to combat nausea for three months.

The paper states that Mr Collins sought personal injury compensation from Walkers. They admitted liability for the incident, and a settlement has just been reached. This will reportedly see Mr Collins receive £3,500 in compensation.

A group of miners from the north east are facing a delay in their battle to receive compensation for knee problems.

The Sunderland Echo is reporting that a group of 335 miners are seeking compensation for knee conditions they claim were caused by conditions they endured whilst working in collieries.

The men are represented by either the Durham Colliery Mechanics’ Association, or the Durham Miners Association. A year ago they suffered a set back in their battle when they were told that the time limit for their cases had passed. However, they have applied to overturn this decision in the Court of Appeal.

The newspaper reports that they were due to hear the outcome of this decision in London at the end of next month. However, they have now been told that the date for this decision will have to be re-scheduled.

A spokesperson for one of the unions told the newspaper that the former miners suffer difficulties in walking and getting up and down stairs. Other everyday activities such as getting in and out of the bath have also become impossible.

The miners now look set to face a delay in finding out if they can claim knee injury compensation.

A worker suffered a devastating injury and severed three fingers in an accident involving a bubble wrap machine.

Daniel Winters was working for Sansetu UK Ltd in Buckinghamshire when the incident happened in May 2011. He was operating a bubble wrap making machine in the factory premises. The machine heats plastic to over 200 degrees to make the product.

Whilst he was operating the machine, Mr Winters noticed that it needed clearing of debris. He attempted to do this with his right hand whilst the machine was still running. Unfortunately, his hand became caught in an in-running nip and was pulled between two rollers.

His hand was seriously damaged in the incident, with the severity of the injury resulting in him losing three fingers. The injury has meant he has had to change roles in the factory.

The machine was found to have no safety guards in place when it was later inspected by the Health and Safety Executive. They concluded that had a guard been in place to stop access to moving parts of the machine, the accident would never have happened.

The company was prosecuted for breaking work equipment regulations, and fined £7,000 last week. Improvements have since been made to the machine to make it safe for workers to use.

A man suffered serious burns after he was sprayed with molten metal in an accident at work.

Asim Qureshi was working as a die cast machine operator for JVM Castings Ltd when the accident happened in July 2010. Whilst he was operating the machine, molten aluminium sprayed out from the back of the machine and landed on him.

The molten metal was at a temperature of approximately 650 degrees Celsius. It landed on his overalls but burnt through them and caused serious burn to his skin.

His arm, leg, shoulder, hand and face all sustained serious burns in the incident. The burn injuries meant he had to take two months off work to recover, and is still getting treatment for some of the burns to this day.

The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive who found that the back of the machine was not guarded. There had been previous incidents of molten aluminium being sprayed from the back of the machine, one of which had caused serious injuries to another employee.

The HSE found that although the company had identified molten aluminium blowbacks as a safety risk to employees, they had failed to put in place measures to prevent injury.

The company were prosecuted for breaking health and safety regulations, and were fined £6,000 this week.

Burn claims are often possible in similar cases where employer negligence has caused a worker injury.