Work injury news
19/12/2011

Machine operator wins £1.75m accident claim

A Barnsley man who suffered severe brain damage after a work accident has won a multimillion pound settlement.

This week, personal injury lawyers for the 57-year-old revealed he will receive a lump sum of £1.75 million and additional payments of £135,000 a year, for life.

They said the total compensation claimed is likely to reach £4.2 million, based on a 20 year life expectancy.

The former machine operator was the victim of a construction site accident in October 2008.

He was changing the grappling attachment on an excavator at the Sheffield site when part of the boom assembly sprang out and hit him in face, knocking him to the ground.

Emergency surgery saved his life, but the head injury left him severely brain damaged and in need of constant care.

In court, the victim's legal team claimed he had not received sufficient training on changing the grapple.

They also said written instructions and equipment which would have allowed him to carry out the job safely were not provided until after the work accident took place.

The demolition company initially denied all responsibility, but ultimately accepted 90% liability for the work injury.

The victim's wife described her relief at the conclusion of his personal injury claim.

"It's a massive relief for all of this to be finally over and for there to be funds to pay for the care," she said.

His lawyers said the work accident had a ‘profound effect' on the family, who despite the injury claim still faced ‘very difficult circumstances'.