11th February 2008
In a recent case, our specialist personal injury lawyers were able to recover compensation for an employee injured in an accident at work.
The claimant was setting a large, heavy-duty rubber fender at the time of his accident, whilst working on a dredger on the River Tyne. It weighed around 27 kilos and was approximately 5 feet long.
As he was doing this, the crane on the vessel was also being operated, causing it to rock up and down in the water. His fingers became trapped between the side of the vessel and the quay as a result, causing him to suffer a personal injury.
Normal manual handling regulations do not apply to vessels, so our lawyers pleaded that the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Manual Handling Operations) Regulations applied to the case.
The Judge accepted that the task the claimant was carrying out had not been risk assessed and he was not given sufficient training or supervision. As the risk of injury had not been reduced as far as possible, the claimant was awarded damages.
At The Legal Line, our lawyers are experts in all areas of personal injury, including workplace accidents and shipping accidents.
If you or someone close to you has suffered an injury at work, you may be entitled to claim compensation. Contact us on 0800 0328511, or by completing an online claim enquiry form, for cost free, confidential advice.