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10th January 2008

£175,000 damages for man who suffered severe physical and psychological injuries after his hand was trapped in a machine at work

Accident caused by dangerous machine

A Preston man who suffered severe physical and psychological injuries after his hand was trapped in a machine at work has secured substantial compensation from his former employer with the support of his trade union Unite.

The man, aged 47, trapped his hand in an unguarded machine and sustained a serious degloving injury to the palm of his hand. He has since undergone five operations and has suffered serious psychological injuries. As a result, he has secured £175,000 in compensation.

The man, who is married with two teenage children, explains: “I was working overtime and was cleaning a slitting machine when my left hand was pulled into the back of the machine. I couldn’t stop it and had to keep kicking the guard on the floor where a stop button was situated. When I managed to turn the machine off, I shouted to a colleague and told him that my hand was stuck fast. He manually reversed the machine to allow me to pull my hand out. The pain was excruciating and I was taken by ambulance to Royal Preston Hospital.”

“I also fractured the little and ring fingers of my left hand, and during the first operation I stopped breathing and was seen by two doctors who did various checks on my heart. The anxiety of ongoing operations and skin grafts from my groin has really taken its toll on my personal life. I became aggressive and have also suffered from nightmares; I lost my confidence and started to have panic attacks. Sadly I’ve lost my motivation for even simple everyday tasks.”

Employer admitted liability for accident at work

Laurence Faircloth, Unite Regional Secretary comments: “His employer admitted liability for an accident which has put a tremendous emotional and financial strain on his life and that of his family. Unite and Thompsons have been there to support and guide them through the legal process and we are very pleased with the compensation he has secured.”

Representing the man, Rebecca Clare, from Thompsons Solicitors in Manchester, comments: “As a result of an accident which could have been avoided, our client now faces an uncertain future. He has worked all of his life up until the accident and intended to do so until the age of 65. He is now unsure whether he will ever be able to go back to full time working, and doubts that he could find alternative employment due to his injuries if he were to lose his current job.”

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or anyone you know has suffered an injury after an accident 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.