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28th November 2007

Bristol Warehouse Worker Injured by Stray Tomato

Accident at Work

A warehouse worker from Bristol was involved in an accident at work in February this year when he slipped on a tomato which had been left on the floor.

John Scullion, aged 46, from Southmead in Bristol was picking goods in the aisle within the produce section of the warehouse operated by his employer, EXEL Logistics. As he had picked up a case of melons, his left foot stepped on a stray tomato.

A number of tomatoes had been dropped on the floor earlier that day by another employee who had failed to pick up the tomatoes and, instead, had kicked them out of the way.

Mr Scullion was taken to Frenchay Hospital where his injuries were examined. He suffered from pain in his left leg and groin.

Mr Scullion explains: “I didn’t see the tomato on the floor. It didn’t come from my lane or the aisle I was working in. I felt as if I was doing the splits when my leg went from underneath me. I had to have two weeks off work after my accident and was lucky not to have suffered ligament damage.”

Andy Frampton, Unite regional secretary said: “Mr Scullion was entitled to receive legal representation to pursue his claim for compensation under his union membership. The compensation that he received was wholly justified.”

Lisa Gunner of Thompsons Solicitors who represented Mr Scullion during the course of his claim explained: “Every employer has a legal duty to make sure that floors are free from obstructions or substances that could cause a slip or fall in the workplace. An out of court settlement resulted in a payment of £2500 for Mr Scullion in compensation for his injuries.”

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or anyone you know has suffered an injury at work after slipping or tripping, 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.