£64,500 for Warehouse Slip
Date online: 01/11/2011
Slipping or tripping is the single most common cause of major injury in UK workplaces. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that more than 10,000 workers suffered serious injury as a result of a slip or trip in the year 2009/2010. This figure excludes falls from height and falls down stairs.
In a recent case, a man who slipped on a patch of ice at work and injured his ankle won £64,500 in compensation from his employer.
The 49-year-old man worked for a food distribution company at its warehouse premises. He was pulling a pallet truck in the cold area when the accident happened. Ice had formed where rainwater had dripped onto the concrete floor of one of the aisles and the man slipped and injured his ankle and heel.
The injury required surgery and then a long course of physiotherapy. During this time, the man also developed a cyst as a result of bruising to the cartilage surrounding his ankle bone.
A year and a half after the accident, he was still unable to walk more than a few hundred metres without suffering intense pain. Even three years after the accident, he was still experiencing pain every time he put his foot to the ground.
Eventually, the man’s employer accepted liability for the accident and agreed a settlement in compensation. This will cover the cost of a further operation that it is hoped will enable him to return to work.
Employers have a duty to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that every floor in a workplace and the surface of every traffic route in a workplace is kept free from obstructions and from any article or substance which may cause a person to slip, trip or fall.
If you've suffered an illness or injury that was not your fault then please contact our Personal Injury team here at Molesworths Solicitors on 01706 356666.
Media Contact:Kelvin Eatherington.Marketing & Business Development Manager.
Tel: 01706 767407. email: kelvin@molesworths.co.uk
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.
