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8th May 2008

Discarded rubbish on Leeds train leads to compensation payout by Northern Rail for injured train driver

Injured at Work

A train driver from Yorkshire has secured nearly £6,000 compensation from Northern Rail following a serious back injury caused as he stepped onto discarded rubbish. Peter Kelly, from Selby, North Yorkshire, secured the damages with the support of his trade union ASLEF and their personal injury specialists Thompsons.

On the day of the accident, Peter Kelly, aged 49, was working on the Leeds to Ilkley route. As he stepped onto the train in order to drive back to Leeds, he stepped onto rubbish that had been thrown onto the train but not cleaned up. He fell backwards onto the platform and badly injured his lower back.

Mr Kelly explains: “The pain in my back was really bad but I didn’t go to hospital straight away as I hoped it would settle. We were due to go on a family holiday to the US a week later and I hoped the pain would subside, but it didn’t and my holiday was ruined. When we returned, I went straight to Selby War Memorial hospital where they treated me. I had quite a bit of time off work and even now I still have to take painkillers and can only walk short distances.”

Employer did not provide a Safe Working Environment

ASLEF official Nicky Whitehead comments: “For a train driver and other staff, the train is their workplace and Northern Rail know only too well that they are obliged to clean the train adequately in order to provide a safe working environment. If they had done so, our member Mr Kelly would have avoided injury.”

Representing Peter Kelly, Keely Goldup from Thompsons Solicitors in Leeds, said: “There are clear guidelines – known as Workplace regulations – which spell out the steps that should be taken by employers. In this instance, Northern Rail flouted their obligations and are paying the price.”

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or anyone you know has suffered an injury at work after slipping or tripping, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim including claims resulting from accidents at work. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms.