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24th May 2010
Factory worker compensated after crush injury
Accident at work
A GMB member whose hand was crushed during a horrific workplace accident has received £57,000 in compensation.
Darrell Neromilotis, 46, from Barrow in Furness needed two operations to save his hand following the accident at Playdale Playgrounds Ltd.
Darrell had worked for the outdoor equipment manufacturers for two years before the accident in the factory in November 2007.
He was using a pipe bending machine to bend stainless steel when the machine started to shake and move around because the pipe was too thick for the equipment.
His left hand was dragged into the machine and because the emergency stop device was faulty, Darrell’s hand was trapped until a colleague could help him.
The fault on the emergency device had been identified months earlier but nothing had been done to fix it.
Darrell was forced to take five months off work after the accident whilst he underwent two operations to mend his hand and wrist.
Darrell now has a permanent disability to his wrist and hand causing reduced movement and loss of strength. He has been able to find alternative employment as a supervisor for a wind turbine firm.
Pursue a claim for accident compensation
Following the accident he contacted his union, the GMB, which instructed Thompsons Solicitors to pursue compensation.
Thompsons argued the company had instructed Darrell to use the wrong machine for the task and that the emergency stop button should have worked. Thompsons overcame Playdale Playgrounds’ defence and settled the claim out of court.
Darrell said: “The emergency stop device on the machine had been faulty for a long time. There had been a previous accident but nothing was done to fix it. A simple repair job might have saved me from the suffering I have been through and the long term injury I now have.
“I am lucky I’ve found another job and after intensive physiotherapy and acupuncture I have learnt to deal with my injury. In my new job I am a supervisor so my injuries don’t get in the way.”
Steve Gibbons from the GMB said: “It is simply unacceptable that this machine was allowed to continue running when the emergency stop device was known to be faulty. It is only just that our member has been compensated for his injuries.”
Paul Brown from Thompsons Solicitors said: “We see far too many cases where employees are asked to work on machines that are not designed for the job or where the emergency stop devices are broken. For the employer it is often something they mean to get round to, for the employee it is the difference between a healthy future and one with a disability.”
Compensation Claim Advice
If you or anyone you know has suffered a personal injury at work, telephone us now for accurate accident compensation 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.
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