May 5th, 2009
A man who had to have his leg amputated below the knee after falling from a ladder at work is to receive a six-figure sum in compensation.
William Edge, 64, was working for the building firm Ardmore Construction in September 2005 when he slipped off a wet ladder and fell three metres onto solid concrete, the Plymouth Herald reports.
He broke his right ankle, but it became infected and after eight operations, the decision was made to amputate Mr Edge’s leg 16 months later.
The victim said that the accident has left him traumatised and unable to carry on with his career, as well as being unable to participate in sports.
"I’ve worked all my life and it’s been hard adjusting to this. I’d always intended to work until I was 65," he added.
Ardmore Construction has now agreed to pay Mr Edge an undisclosed sum of compensation in an out-of-court settlement.
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, every employer should make sure that work is not carried out at height when it can be successfully carried out at ground level.
Where work at height is carried out, employers are legally obliged to take adequate steps to prevent falls.
Tags: Adequate Steps, Amputee, Ardmore Construction, Concrete, Court Settlement, Figure Sum, Ladder, Plymouth, Sports, Undisclosed Sum, William Edge
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
March 10th, 2009
A man who fell 14 feet off a ladder has secured compensation after he was forced to retire.
Jeffery Phillips, 59, had worked at Gunstones Bakery in Dronfield for 11 years when he was asked to clean the top of a divider machine in preparation for a customer visit in 2006, the Sheffield Telegraph reports.
However, the ladder he was using to reach the top of the machine slipped and Mr Phillips fell to the floor, breaking his hip, fracturing his elbow and hurting his hand.
He needed a hip replacement and was forced to give up work.
Mr Phillips took legal action against Gunstones Bakery, which admitted liability and agreed to an out-of-court settlement of £80,000.
"I decided to pursue compensation because I wanted the company to take full responsibility for the accident," the victim said.
He added that he had never received training in the use of ladders and would not want a similar fate to happen to anyone else for the same reason.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, ladders accounted for the greatest number of major injuries to employees due to both high falls (40 per cent) and low falls (28 per cent) in 2007-08.
Tags: 11 Years, Bakery, Court Settlement, Customer Visit, Divider, Dronfield, Elbow, Fate, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hip Replacement, Ladder, Ladders, Mr Phillips, Sheffield Telegraph
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
March 4th, 2009
A man who injured his heel after slipping on a wet ladder has been awarded £120,000 in compensation.
The unnamed 60-year-old from Gateshead was using a ladder to access his van’s roof rack in February 2007. However, the ladder was slippery and he fell off it, breaking his heel.
He was in a plaster cast for four months after the accident and took legal action against his employer with help from the trade union Unite.
The Newcastle-based company admitted liability for failing to provide safe access to their vehicles in wet weather and agreed to the out-of-court settlement.
A Unite spokesperson said: "If the ladder had been fitted with anti-slip runs then this accident may have been avoidable."
All workers have a right to work in places where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. The primary responsibility for this is down to the employer.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents claims it has the responsibility for reducing the 36 million working days lost to work-related accidents and ill health each year.
Tags: Court Settlement, Employee Compensation, Four Months, Health And Safety, Ill Health, Ladder, Newcastle, Plaster Cast, Prevention, Roof Rack, Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents, Spokesperson, Wet Weather
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
January 29th, 2009
A man who injured himself after falling from a ladder at work has secured a compensation settlement of £118,500.
The individual, who has not been named, was working for Portchester Plastics Decorators as a painter and decorator in Brighton at the time of the accident.
Although a scaffolding tower had been provided, the employee believed it to be unsafe and instead used a stepladder to reach high areas that he needed to paint.
However, he fell ten feet from the ladder and suffered a fractured leg, an injury which has left him reliant on a mobility scooter to leave the house. He has also undergone numerous operations.
The victim sought legal action and has now secured the payout, which his legal representative said should help to alleviate the "severe disruption and stress" the injury caused.
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, every employer should make sure that work is not carried out at height when it can be successfully carried out at ground level.
Where work at height is carried out, employers are legally obliged to take adequate steps to prevent falls.
Tags: Adequate Steps, Brighton, Decorators, Disruption, Fractured Leg, Ladder, Legal Representative, Mobility Scooter, Painter And Decorator, Plastics, Scaffolding, Stepladder, Stress, Ten Feet
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
November 26th, 2008
A man who worked for a printing company has been paid compensation after falling from a ladder.
Kenneth Blair, 58, had worked for Trinity Mirror for 18 years, but on the night of the accident, was put in charge of a different machine.
As he stood on a ladder, he was knocked off by the driver of a forklift truck and broke his wrist, the Workplace Law Network reports.
Mr Blair claims that had had no safety training to work on the new machine and had to retire as a result of his injuries.
Trinity Mirror admitted 85 per cent liability for the incident and agreed to pay Mr Blair £140,000 in compensation.
Unite regional secretary Kevin Coyne says: "It is vital businesses have very clear health and safety procedures in place in the workplace and that staff are briefed before they start work on a job that is new to them."
All employers are obliged by law to ensure the safety of their employees under a duty of care.
They must provide a safe workplace, safe systems of work, safe equipment and safe fellow employees.
If any safety regulations are breached and an injury occurs, the victim may be eligible for compensation. The Health and Safety Executive will prosecute where appropriate employers that break the law.
Tags: 18 Years, Duty Of Care, Fellow Employees, Forklift Truck, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Health And Safety Procedures, Job, Kevin Coyne, Ladder, Mr Blair, Printing Company, Regional Secretary, Safe Systems Of Work, Safety Regulations, Safety Training, Trinity Mirror, Vital Businesses, Workplace Law
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
