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14th September 2007

Long serving tobacco employee awarded damages

Accident at Work

A Merseyside machine operator who spent 32 years working for Imperial Tobacco Limited before being made redundant in December 2006 has been awarded damages of £3,800 following an accident at the company’s Liverpool factory in July 2005. With the support of Unite the Union and Thompsons Solicitors in Liverpool, Ms Margaret Kehoe was successful in her claim following injuries sustained to her back.

On the 5th July 2005, Ms Kehoe, 49, was cleaning a machine which was used to pack tobacco. The machine was old and some force was needed to turn a hand wheel. As Ms Kehoe attempted to clean the machine, it malfunctioned and the force of the hand wheel knocked her off her feet.

Ms Kehoe said: “Even before my accident, there were several reported faults about the machine. Although it was repaired, it clearly still wasn’t right and I paid the price. It took an injury to me to force the company to stop using it.”

Lawrence Faircloth North West Regional Secretary for Unite the Union said: “It shouldn’t take an injury, such as the one sustained by Ms Kehoe, to force an employer to pay more serious attention to machinery in the workplace. Employers have a duty of care to their staff – if in doubt, the problem should be fixed properly or the machine decommissioned.”

Representing Ms Kehoe, Helen Templeton of Thompsons Solicitors in Liverpool, said: “Medical evidence showed that Margaret had suffered 18 months of back problems as a result of the accident. She was a committed worker, as demonstrated by her length of service to Imperial Tobacco, so it was hugely disappointing that liability was admitted only after court proceedings commenced.”

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 including claims for injuries caused by dangerous machinery. 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.