News
Agricultural worker wins leg injury compensation
18/10/2010
A man who’s leg was crushed in a potato harvesting accident has won £71,000 in compensation.
Stephen Hyndman, 28, sustained the work-related injury in 2003 while working for William Brown, an agricultural contractor working in Northern Ireland and Cumbria.
While trying to clear a blocked harvester in a field in Cumbria, Mr Hyndman’s trousers became caught in the machinery.
His foot was pulled towards the harvester and he sustained crush injuries to his lower leg.
Mr Hyndman, who had wanted to become an HGV lorry driver, was said to have become potentially handicapped by the incident.
Work Accident Helpline can help you to win compensation. If you have sustained injuries in a work accident then call us or claim online today. Work Accident Helpline can give you all the information you need about making a claim for work accident compensation.
Truck driver wins compensation for crushed thumb
10/8/2010
A lorry driver has won compensation after his thumb was damaged while unloading his lorry trailer.
Ian Castle, from Grimsby, needed nine stitches after the work accident, which also left him with a broken thumb and a ripped-off thumb nail.
As a result of his injuries, Ian received £5,500 from his employer, Lincolnshire haulage company PA Dunwell Transport, on the basis that he was not provided with safe work systems or proper training.
Ian described the incident: "When you look at a lorry trailer, the roof is supported by posts. Inside the posts are levers that mean the roof can be lifted another foot. When the roof comes down it goes over the load.
“These levers are quite erratic, and when I clicked the release latch that holds the roof-lifting lever in place, it's supposed to come down hydraulically assisted.
“On this occasion it didn't, it came slamming down on my finger at about 300 miles an hour and caused my thumb to be pulled into the recess where the lever is stored, and it became trapped between the side of the trailer and the lever.”
Work Accident Helpline specialises in claims for work accidents like these. We have a team of trained solicitors who specialise in winning 100% compensation for their clients. To find out more call Work Accident Helpline today.
Compensation for disabled six-year-old
24/6/2010
A boy from Washington, Wearside, has won compensation at the High Court for mistakes made at his birth which led to his being severely disabled.
Jensen Carter, 6, was starved of oxygen at his birth at the University Hospital of North Durham in 2003, and now suffers from cerebral palsy, which causes problems with his limbs, communication and feeding.
Jensen was awarded a multi-million pound settlement after the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust admitted liability for negligent delay at his birth.
A spokesperson for the NHS trust said: "County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust wishes to take this opportunity of apologising again for the injury caused to Jensen and for the distress caused to his family.
"The trust hopes that the settlement which has been approved will enable Jensen's family to continue to care for Jensen and to meet his needs in the future."
Jensen’s mother Gina has set up a fund to raise money so that Jensen’s specialist school can install a new hydrotherapy pool.
The Percy Hedley School, a specialist school for children with cerebral palsy, children with hearing or visual impairments and children with speech, language and communication difficulties.
In recognition of the help Jensen has received, Gina has set up the Tim Carter Appeal - named after her late husband - which has already raised £500,000 towards a target of £1.2m.
If you or your family have been affected by an injury that wasn't your fault, Work Accident Helpline can help you to get the compensation you deserve.
Compensation for UK teachers
2/4/2010
Teachers in the UK claimed over £20 million in compensation last year as a result of accidents, pupil attacks and employment disputes.
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said employers need to work harder to fulfil their responsibilities towards the teachers they employ.
“It is of deep concern that many of the claims could have been avoided if employers at school and local authority level abided by their statutory duties and responsibilities,” he said.
“Millions of pounds of tax payers’ money could be saved every year if all employers took their legal responsibilities seriously."
“Whilst the sums of money involved might seem very significant, no amount of money can compensate for no longer being able to pursue your chosen career.”
The highest payout of 280,000 was claimed by the NASUWT, following serious injuries sustained by a teacher when she was attacked by a 13-year-old boy with emotional and behavioural problems.
The teacher suffered back and head injuries when the boy jumped on her back and put her in a headlock. She was forced to retire on health grounds the following year.
Work Accident Helpline could provide the guidance you need to claim compensation for an accident or injury suffered at work.
Compensation for injured welder
23/3/2010
A welder who was injured at work has won compensation after the factory accident left him blind and paralysed on one side.
Mark Downs, from Eckington, was hit on the head by a five tonne metal sheet while crossing the factory floor at Hadee Engineering in Sheffield in October 2007. The sheet had swung out of control as it was being moved in a tandem lift.
Mark, 39, suffered serious head injuries and is now expected to require lifelong support.
Hadee was ordered to pay compensation due to the breaches in health and safety regulations which led to the accident. The judge criticised the company for, among other things, failing to carry out a risk assessment and failing to properly supervise the tandem lift which was being used to manoeuvre the metal sheet.
Mark, who had worked for Hadee as a welder for 15 years, said: "I am very happy about it. It will help me to get the care that I need because I need someone around 24 hours a day."
Mark’s mother Sandra added that following the accident, Mark was given just four days to live. "I just can't explain what we have been through,” she said. “At first they gave him just four days. All the family were there every day and we were there all night when they did the first operation."
If you have been involved in a factory accident, or any other accident in the workplace, and would like to make a work injury claim, call Work Accident Helpline today or claim online.
