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27th October 2009

Council pays damages after ignoring safety risk

Accident at Work resulted in Back Injury

A council who ignored complaints from staff about a health and safety risk has paid £10,250 in compensation after an employee damaged her back.

Sharon Kerry, 41, from Leicester, has suffered chronic back pain since the accident at work two years ago.

The hostel duty officer for Leicester City Council was putting money into a safe when she hurt her back in October 2007.

Sharon’s accident accelerated a pre-existing back condition by two to three years. She is now deciding whether to undergo surgery for her injury.

Employers settled claim out of Court

Employees had complained on a number of occasions about the position of the safe which was on the floor. Users had to kneel or bend down to access it.

Following the accident Sharon, who has worked for the council for six years, contacted her union, the GMB, which instructed its lawyers Thompsons Solicitors to pursue a claim for accident compensation.

Leicester City Council admitted liability and settled the claim out of court.

Sharon said: “We had complained time and again about the safe. It was awkward to get into and should have been moved long before I had the accident. Fortunately since pursuing my claim the safe has now been moved

“I am still suffering from back pain and have been told that I can have surgery on my back but there is a 20% chance that treatment will worsen my condition. I am now trying to decide what would be for the best.”

Back injuries can be painful and disabling

Andy Worth from the GMB said: “It is unacceptable that the council ignored health and safety concerns about the location of the safe. They should have risk assessed the problem when it was brought to their attention and moved it long before Sharon’s accident. The council’s failure to listen and take simple steps to avoid injury has left Sharon with a back injury and a difficult decision about whether to have surgery.”

Laura Hadfield from Thompsons Solicitors added: “Back injuries can be painful and disabling. There is no limit to the number of ways they can occur. A simple risk assessment would have made clear the health and safety problems in the safe’s location.”

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or anyone you know has suffered an injury, illness or disease at work due to dangerous practices or dangerous procedures, 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.