Personal injury advice from
Thompsons Solicitors
Grounds Supervisor Injured in Digger Accident at Work
1st May 2009
A council employee badly fractured his leg in an accident at work and recovered compensation with help from our specialist personal injury lawyers.
Injured at Work
Our client, a supervisor with the Grounds Maintenance Department of a local authority, was working at a Council owned allotment at the time of his personal injury.
He and his colleagues had to dig a trench to ascertain whether a water pipe was in place and, if there was not, they were to lay one. A micro-digger had been hired for this purpose and our client needed to take it down a small path to reach an area they were working on. It was possible to move the tracks of the digger in and out in order to pass through narrow spaces, so he moved the tracks in and proceeded.
Unfortunately the micro-digger toppled over on the loose soil surface without warning and trapped his leg underneath it. He was freed by some colleagues and attended hospital, where it was discovered the lower part of his leg was fractured. He underwent an operation to attach an external fixator to his leg and he was given crutches to use for getting around. Further treatment was also necessary when the claimant developed an infection and he had to take time off from work to recover from his injury.
Employer Liability
The claimant had not received any training on how to use a micro-digger before the accident and had never used one before at all. He had received some training for other types of diggers, but not those with adjustable tracks, and his qualification had expired some years previously in any event.
He felt that his employer was responsible for his injury at work, as their health and safety measures were inadequate. He was not given sufficient training and the digger provided was unsuitable for the job.
Our lawyers, who specialise in claims for industrial injuries and industrial diseases, acted on his behalf in a personal injury claim against his employer. The case was successful and the claimant received a settlement of £10,000 in damages.
Injury Claim Advice
If you have been involved in an accident at work, road accident, or any other accident that was the fault of someone else, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
Contact The Legal Line for cost free, expert advice from our lawyers on 0800 0328511, or by completing a claim enquiry form online.
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