Head injury

#1 2008-09-07 21:57:52
Steve

Guest

Head injury

Hi,
I injured my head last Sept (07). The reason for this was because of bad housekeeping at work, what should be open access area's were full of pallets. I am an engineer and I was working on a machine, I needed to get to the other side of this machine but because of all the extra stuff lying about I took the only open route, which was under a small infeed table about 4 foot high. Unfortunately I misjudged the depth of this table and stood from my walking crouch too early. I caught my head on the underside of the table and ended up having to have 18 stitches across my scalp. I was only off work for a few days, but a year on it is still a 'stepped' scar, raised on my head. It bleeds occasionally and I still cant use a stiff brush or comb to do my hair.
I have pictures of my head post hospital visit, and after stitches were taken out, and about 30 pics of the factory showing the marked areas for storage, and the proof they are not being used....

So where do I go from here if anywhere?? I dont want to make trouble for my Employers but just feel that if something that happened to me because of their bad housekeeping is still affecting me 11 months on then maybe I should be looking for compensation.

Thanks in advance, Steve

#2 2008-09-08 12:25:50
Campter.co.uk

New member

Registered:

2008-07-30

Posts: 2

Your employer owed a duty to provide you with a safe place of work. More
specifically under the Workplace Health Safety and Welfare Regulations there is a
duty to keep the workplace free of junk, rubbish etc and to keep traffic routes
free.  You might be held partly to blame if you did not report the difficulty you
had with getting access to the machine and for making your own misjudgment and
banging your head but the employer would be more to blame than you. It would
probably be 75% their fault.

Your employer will be insured and once you have worked for them for more than a year
they would be stupid to sack you if you made a claim because you could them make a
claim for unfair dismissal.

Campter Personal Injury Specialists. No Win No Fee
www.campter.co.uk

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#3 2008-09-09 00:48:46
Steve

Guest

Thanks for the reply.
I have worked for them for 8 years.

I will seek legal advice from my solicitor and see where to go next.

Steve

As a side note, I had complained about housekeeping, and it has improved after my accident (and with a new management team!).

#4 2008-09-11 08:54:09
Thejimster

New member

Registered:

2008-09-09

Posts: 3

This injury could have been avoided if:
-the path to the other side of the machine had been clear (this is your employer's fault)
-you had been more careful with your "crossing" (this is your fault)

I agree with Campter - your claim has a 75% chance of success.

And if you claim and succeed, you could get compensated for up to 7000 pounds.

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