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You are in: Home Page | News Desk | News Story

26th December 2008

Quality auditor receives compensation for bad back

Compensation for back injuries sustained at work

David Ogden, 54, from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire felt forced to find less physical work with another employer after he was left with long term back problems.

He first hurt his back while lifting heavy trays of packed ready meals which he sent to the lab for testing when working as a quality auditor for Kettleby Foods in Melton Mowbray.

The nine kilo trays were stacked in an awkward position in metal cages and David felt his back go as he was pulling them towards him.

He had to take several weeks off work and on his return was then assigned to light duties and a shortened working day.

A few months later his back condition was aggravated again when he was lifting a 25 kilo bag of tortilla wraps.

Back problems kept flaring up

David decided to leave his job six months later because his back problems were flaring up regularly and he did not want to put himself at further risk of injury.

A consultant said David had pre existing degenerative changes in his back which were aggravated by the accidents for two years.

He contacted the GMB about his back problems which instructed its lawyers Thompsons Solicitors to pursue a claim for compensation.

Kettleby Foods settled the claim out of court for £7,000.

Will have a bad back for the rest of his life

David now works as an internal auditor for the Highways Agency but still suffers from a painful back.

He said: “The doctors have said that I will have a bad back the rest of my life. I have to be very careful to protect it. It can relapse just by doing the simplest things.

“I decided to pursue compensation because my back will never fully recover. I am always going to suffer pain and it will only get worse as I get older.”

Andy Worth from the GMB added: “Back injuries can be painful and debilitating. Employers must ensure staff are trained in lifting techniques or work out ways to avoid lifting situations like the ones faced by David.”

Jane Toplis from Thompsons Solicitors added: “There are strict laws to ensure that employers take action to prevent manual handling injuries. Employers should have a written policy as part of an overall health and safety strategy which addresses the risks their workers face.”

Compensation Claim Advice

If you or anyone you know has suffered a personal injury at work after lifting a heavy object, 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 manual handling compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a manual handling 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.