Man receives compensation in work accident claim
A man has received £10,000 in damages after a cooker manufacturer failed to enforce safety measures to avoid personal injury to workers.
The man, from Stoke on Trent, suffered serious personal injuries to his shoulder and neck while assembling heavy cookers for a Staffordshire based company.
It was reported that the belt was running too quickly on the day of the work accident. This meant that the man had insufficient time to lift and work on each appliance.
As he lifted one cooker it snared on the conveyor belt. This caused him to tear ligaments in his neck and shoulder in the incident.
His injury lawyers told the court that some of his colleagues had suffered similar accidents in the past, yet his employers had done nothing to change working practices.
The accident caused the man to take two months off work and he has been told he needs surgery to fix his shoulder.
His injury lawyers argued that his job should have been carried out by two people to allow for the weight of the cooker. His previous employers admitted liability and settled the claim out of court.
Speaking after the settlement the worker said: "I’m only glad I’ve been able to find another job. I can no longer lift and that is a worry as it affects my future employability.”
Updated on 05/02/2010