You are in: Home Page | News Desk | News Story


25th June 2007

Driver secures damages following amputation of his trapped finger

Accident at Work

An HGV driver employed by the London Borough of Harrow has been awarded compensation following an accident which left him with part of his finger amputated. Neil Beard, 49, brought the claim with the assistance of his union, UNISON, and the legal expertise of Thompsons Solicitors.

At the time of the accident in April 2006, Mr Beard and a colleague were emptying some large bins full of trade waste from the rear of a pub. There was no dropped kerb for the bins to be manoeuvred down and no ramp had been provided by the employer. As the men were attempting to manoeuvre the bin down the kerb the wheels turned and the bin moved towards Mr Beard, trapping and breaking one of his right fingers.

Neither of the men had received training for this type of situation and there were no protective guards in place on the lorry to prevent the bins from colliding with it.

"This was an unfortunate incident where several factors combined to leave Mr Beard with no option but to have part of his finger amputated," said Angela Smart, Mr Beard’s representative at Thompsons Solicitors. "The employer admitted liability, although we had to fight to ensure that Mr Beard was properly compensated for his injuries and the cosmetic disfigurement of his hand."

Mr Beard said: "The insurers made initial offers which Thompsons advised I should reject. We eventually issued court proceedings and they decided to provide the right level of damages for the pain and injury that I’d suffered. Thompsons kept me informed throughout and I’m very pleased with the speed and outcome."

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or anyone you know has suffered a personal 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.