Hand injury sees man awarded £25k compensation
An employee who fears he could now be unemployable after a work accident has received an accident claim worth £25,000.
The man who is 57-years-old and from Canvey Island in Essex, had to undergo surgery on his hand after the accident.
The incident took place after a tendon was severed during the accident at DSV Road Ltd, a firm based in Harwich, and which ships tractors across the world.
On the day of the accident the worker was taking a tractor apart for shipping. The man needed to use a specific type of hammer for part of the job, but the correct tool hadn't been supplied. Despite his complains he was told to carry on the job so that the firm could get the tractor loaded.
Hand injury
Unknowingly, he used a piece of metal which had been used by a colleague for dismantling an axle of another tractor and as a result had developed a jagged edge.
Despite wearing safety gloves he caught his right hand on the edge and severely severed his tendon. The man was forced to take three months off work and received intensive physiotherapy.
Factors of the accident include loss of grip in his hand due to permanent nerve damage and he also suffers permanent numbness and intolerance to the cold.
The man has now returned to work as a driver, but fears in the current climate if he was made redundant he would be unable to find alternative work.
The injured man said: "I am no longer able to do a manual job and I am very aware that the work I am currently doing will not last forever. I know that I will struggle to find alternative employment if I do find myself out of work and it is a real concern."
He added: "I decided to pursue compensation because I felt the accident had taken my trade away from me. The company has since provided employees with the correct tools for the job so at least no-one else will suffer the same fate."
Union support for injured worker
Following the accident the injured man contacted his union, Unite, which instructed a legal firm to pursue a personal injury claim for compensation on his behalf.
The man's employer, DSV Road Ltd admitted liability and settled the claim out of court.
Speaking in regards to the man's injury, Steve Hart from Unite said: "Manual workers like the man rely on their hands to undertake their highly skilled jobs. He has alternative work with DSV Road as a driver, but his earning capacity in the future has been affected by this accident."
Rachel Bayliss, from the legal firm, representing the man, added: "Our client has been left with a permanent disability which puts him at a significant disadvantage if he was to attempt to find alternative work."
"It is unacceptable that he had asked for the correct tools for the job, but they were not provided. Investment in the correct tools must be a priority for businesses to avoid this kind of accident."
Updated on 02/10/2009