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17th September 2007

Damages awarded after paper cut left machine worker with serious finger injury

Workplace Accident

The lack of proper training left a paper cutter from Abertillery, Gwent, with serious injuries to one of his fingers after it became trapped in a machine which had no protective guard in place.

At the time of the accident, Mr Ian Brown, 25, was employed by Cardinal Packaging Ltd on the Rassau Industrial Estate in Ebbw Vale. With the support of Unite the Union, and Thompsons Solicitors in Cardiff, Mr Brown secured compensation of £5,500.

On the 11th November 2005, Mr Brown was attempting to adjust the tension of paper on a paper rolling machine. There was no guard on the machine and as he tried to adjust the tension, his left ring finger became trapped between two rollers. His finger required a skin graft.

Andy Richards, Regional Secretary of Unite the Union in Wales, said: “Mr Brown had received no formal training and had not been shown any safe working procedures to handle the paper rolling machine properly. In any circumstances where employees are required to work with potentially dangerous pieces of equipment, they must receive proper training and suitable protection from the risk of injury.”

Mr Brown’s representative at Thompsons Solicitors in Cardiff, Petra Williams, said: “Mr Brown suffered a painful injury which required immediate and ongoing medical attention. He was off work for 11 weeks. The accident has left him with nerve damage in his finger and it’s unlikely that he will ever regain full sensitivity in it.”

Commenting, Mr Brown, said: “I was in a lot of pain, but looking back on it the accident could have been much worse. I had to have skin removed from my elbow and grafted onto my hand. Anyone using machinery in the workplace should be protected from accidents like this.”

Compensation Claim Advice

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.