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News Desk | News Story
2nd May 2007
A Lewisham Council employee has secured over £12,000 in damages following an accident at work which has left him with a ‘mechanical back’. Leading trade union UNISON secured the compensation for member Craig Lewis via their free legal help scheme with personal injury specialists Thompsons Solicitors.
Mr Lewis, from Bromley, Kent, works as a premises officer for Lewisham Council and is a longstanding employee. On the day of the accident in September 2004, Mr Lewis had set up a media room for a conference and was waiting for someone to arrive so he could show them how to use the equipment. He sat in a colleague’s chair and leant against the backrest in the normal way. The spine of the backrest snapped causing him to suddenly fall backwards. The broken spine of the chair impacted with his spine.
Mr Lewis explains: “I was off work over 3 months; I couldn’t walk. At first I didn’t appreciate how serious the injury was. Even after I returned to work, I have had to have more time off than I normally would due to ongoing back problems. Following an MRI scan in October last year, I’ve been told that I have “mechanical” back and that it is likely to be problematic in the long term, but especially if I carry on doing work that involves lifting and carrying.”
Vicky Easton, Regional Head of Local Government at UNISON said: “We are pleased with the result of Craig Lewis’ case. This is an employee with over 20 years service who is now having to look for a new – less manual - role within the council because of his recurring back pain. The compensation is therefore wholly justified.”
Commenting, Mr Lewis’ representative Kim Bouwer at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “Clearly employers need to take responsibility for their staff and ensure that measures are in place to avoid such injuries. The amount secured will compensate Mr Lewis for his injury, the care and assistance he has needed in his day to day life, and the loss of earnings resulting from lost overtime due to his illness absence and subsequent difficulties.”
If you or anyone you know has suffered an injury at work, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.
There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. 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.