A 23-year-old man has received £55,000 in injury at work compensation after a steel sheet sliced through his left index finger.
The man, who instructed Hudgell Solicitors’ Personal Injury team to make a work injury claim, was working as a steel erector and cladder at the time of the workplace accident.
On the day he was injured at work, our client and his boss were three weeks into a job cladding a company’s building with steel.
The sheets of steel used for the job, which were around nine metres long and a metre wide, needed to be trimmed to the correct size before being erected.
The sheets are normally laid across the floor to cut. However, on this occasion, our client was asked to trim the steel sheet whilst his boss was holding it upright resting on a foam block.
But as our client was trimming the steel, his boss lost his grip on it causing it to slip from the foam block and drop a couple of inches, catching the man’s left index finger and trapping it against the concrete ground. As a result, the sheet cut into the finger and created a flap of skin as he pulled his hand away.
Man left unable to straighten finger after accident at work
The accident at work left our client in a lot of pain and the wound was pouring with blood. He had a towel placed on it and he attended the local hospital, where he had the finger numbed, realigned and 10 stitches put in at A&E.
The severe cut also caused damage to the nerves and tendons in his left index finger and a chip to the bone.
The man, who returned to work the following day fearing he would lose his job, had sessions with a physiotherapist following the workplace accident.
However, the finger has been left permanently in a bent position which stops him from holding screws, using drills and doing various other tasks.
‘Hypersensitive’ finger limits tasks man is able to carry out after being injured at work
The man made the decision to make an accident at work claim against his former employer after being made redundant and our injury at work solicitors represented him in the case.
According to the medical expert we instructed in the case, our client went on to develop hypersensitivity and he probably had an element of complex regional pain syndrome. He was left unable to continue as a steel erector as the sheets were too heavy and his grip too weak to perform the job safely.
He also had problems with the sensation at the end of his left index finger, finding it difficult carrying out many day-to-day tasks, such as holding a knife or phone, putting on clothes or doing up shoe laces. His whole hand tended to ache and he kept his index finger out of the way all the time to prevent it from being knocked. He couldn’t even put his hand in his pocket as he found it very painful, catching his index finger.
As well as impacting his ability on the work front, our client also used to enjoy playing football twice a week but stopped following the injury.
The medical expert in the case, a consultant plastic, reconstructive and hand surgeon, stated in his report in the work injury claim that he would “classify the man as disabled under the Disability Discrimination Act”.
Liability was admitted in the work injury claim and a £55,000 accident at work compensation settlement was secured.
If you have suffered an accident at work and believe you may be eligible to make a claim, contact us today for free, no obligation advice on your case. Click here to get in touch >>
Accident at work no win no fee
Hudgells’ personal injury lawyers have extensive experience in managing personal injury cases, providing expert legal support without any upfront fees. If you’ve experienced an injury at work after being cut by equipment, you may qualify to make an injury at work claim. Our knowledgeable team will be with you throughout the claims process, ensuring you receive the guidance you need.
With our no win no fee agreement, you won’t have to worry about financial risks. You only pay a pre-agreed portion of the compensation if your injury at work claim is successful. This gives you the freedom to pursue justice without fear of financial loss. We are dedicated to getting you the compensation you deserve, providing clear legal advice at every stage.
Let us support you in achieving the justice and financial recovery you deserve after your workplace injury.
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