An Injury at Work led to £50,000 Compensation

Posted on July 6, 2021

The tenacity of one of our solicitors paid off recently when we were able to settle a £50,000 claim for our client after she was injured at work.

“This was a case where liability was always disputed but we kept going with it and got a settlement,” said head of Personal Injury, Mike Talbot.

Accident at work

The Claimant was pursuing a claim for personal injury and consequential losses as a result of suffering an injury to her right thumb at her workplace when the handle of a janitorial trolley fell down trapping her right thumb against the handle platform.

In this case the 64-year-old client was employed by Engie Services Limited working as a cleaner at the Newman College, Broadway, Chadderton, when the handle of the trolley fell down and trapped her thumb.

There was no first aider on site and no accident book available. She did however record a note of the incident. It was stated that the trolley was often used to prop open the sluice room door with the handle in an upright position, there was no catch to secure the handle and it could fall down without warning. In this incident our client had opened the door and tried to remove the trolley from the small sluice room but chemical bottles had been jammed beneath it making it difficult to manoeuvre.

The defendant

It was found that the defendant breached a number of regulations including Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Injury sustained at work

Our client suffered a substantial crush injury to her right thumb and this necessitated injections and a fusion of the IP joint in the thumb, located at the tip of the finger just before the fingernail starts. The injury has prevented her from continuing to work and a report from an Orthopaedic consultant surgeon stated that the accident has accelerated an underlying arthritis issue.

“This was a really unpleasant injury and really does emphasise how important it is for employers to make sure their staff have a safe and secure working environment across all areas,” said Mr Talbot.

“What I would advise any potential claimant to do is to make sure they log the incident, get the accident recorded in the accident report book and get a picture of the hazard and the consequent injury.

In this case our client cannot return to work and we were able to secure a substantial settlement with subsequent deductions for benefits paid as a result to the accident and injuries sustained,” he added.

Client Feedback

Speaking after the case the client said: “Mr Talbot’s attention to detail and professionalism was first rate and the service I received from him was excellent.”

For advice on any Personal Injury Claim, or if you have been injured at work, contact the Pearson Personal Injury team on 0161 785 3500 or email enquiries@pearsonlegal.co.uk

Please note that the information and opinions contained in this article are not intended to be comprehensive, nor to provide legal advice. No responsibility for its accuracy or correctness is assumed by Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers Ltd or any of its members or employees. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking, or refraining from taking, any action as a result of this article.

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