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18th April 2007

Social worker receives £90,000 damages from Worcestershire County Council following accident in a residential home

Accident at work

A social worker from Worcestershire has received £90,000 damages following an accident in a residential home for adults with learning disabilities.   Debbie, aged 39, from Redditch, Worcestershire, secured the compensation through her membership of UNISON with the support of leading personal injury specialists Thompsons Solicitors.

At the time of the accident in October 2003, Debbie was working for Worcestershire County Council as a social worker at a residential home in Bromsgrove. She was working alone, helping one of the clients to get into bed – this was a client who was known to have mobility problems. As the lady got out of her chair, she lunged forward to grab her zimmer frame and fell backwards and sideways onto Debbie. As a result of the accident, Debbie injured her lower back and has since suffered depression; she has not returned to work.

Health and Safety at Work

Debbie comments: "I'd like to see more manual handling training taking place for people like me.  I'm so grateful to my solicitor and to UNISON; it's so important to join your union.  I would have given up without their support."

Adrian Gregson, Branch Secretary for UNISON comments: "Hopefully the successful outcome of Debbie's case will encourage others to turn to their union's free legal help scheme for support when accidents like this occur."

Representing Debbie, her solicitor Elizabeth Ford from Thompsons Solicitors explains: "Over a period of 12 years, Debbie had only been on one manual handling course.  Also, there were substantial notes to show that this lady at the home had poor mobility and a history of falls but still Debbie was left to work with her one-to-one.  Given the fact that Debbie has been unable to return to work, the compensation is fully justified."

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 personal 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 personal injury compensation claim forms.