Worker compensated after jaw injury
A man who suffered a broken jaw and lost seven teeth in a work accident, has been awarded with tens of thousands of pounds in a compensation claim.
The employee who is in his forties, a member of the GMB union and from Washington, was hit in the mouth by a tool known as a warwick after he was forced to work on his own in his new job, after just two days of a promised a seven day training programme.
The man was working at a car parts manufacturer in Sunderland on a temporary basis, when the accident happened in March 2008.
The worker had been told to secure chains to storage pallets in the back of a lorry on his own. He was using the tool to tighten the chains as he had been taught to do during the previous two days but it was not the correct type for the job and when he applied pressure it flipped back, hitting him in the mouth and jaw.
He sustained personal injuries to his jaw and immediately lost four teeth. A further three teeth were lost after they failed to respond to treatment. For up to four months he was only able to eat soft food and he lost more than a stone in weight.
Compensation for his injuries
The man must now use false dentures but has been told he will face years of painful dental work, including a bone graft which will cost around £36,000.
Following the work accident he contacted his trade union, the GMB, which instructed its personal injury lawyers to pursue a claim on the man's behalf.
The injury lawyers argued that the man should have received his full formal training before being asked to work on his own.
The firm admitted public liability and settled the claim out of court. The man was awarded with a total of £47,500.
The claimant, who now works as an HGV driver, said: “Losing my teeth was the most painful thing I have ever been through. I was also extremely embarrassed having to work and mix with people having no top teeth. I now have a denture but it makes it difficult to eat and talk."
He furthered: "With this compensation I look forward to having my teeth corrected but I recognize that it will mean many months of painful treatment.
"I had been advised by the union to keep on my membership despite working on temporary contracts and that was good advice. Without the union's help I would not have claimed compensation."
Training needed to avoid work accidents
Michael Hopper from the GMB union said: "Temporary staff should be provided with full training in the job to allow them to carry out each task as safely as possible.
"Our member was rushed into carrying out work before he was fully trained and given the wrong equipment which, with his very limited experience, he was unable to appreciate.
"His accident has proven costly for Unipres who could have easily avoided this from happening had it taken the time to train our member properly."
David Mole, a spokesperson for the injury lawyers firm, added: "It is simply unacceptable that our client was allowed to work on his own after he had been told he would need seven days training for the job."
Mr Mole, concluded by saying: "Clearly he hadn't been taught the correct processes and as a result he suffered this extremely painful accident with significant long term consequences."
Updated on 07/05/2010