An electrician who badly injured his ankle when he fell from the access ladder of a crane has received £212,000 in compensation from his employer.
Mark Nicholls, 54, was working at a manufacturing plant in Kent when the accident happened. He had the crane’s remote control in his hand as he climbed up the 13-foot ladder to access the upper section of the machine. He lost his grip and fell six feet.
He was taken to hospital, where X-rays and a CT scan revealed that he had broken his ankle. He had a fibreglass cast applied to the joint and could only walk with the aid of crutches.
It was six months before Mr Nicholls was able to return to work, and even then he was restricted to carrying out light duties for the first three months. He continues to need regular pain-killing injections and wears custom-made footwear to reduce the weight-bearing pressure on his ankle.
Mr Nicholls sought compensation from his employer on the basis that it had failed to have in place a safe system of working. He was not told to wear a safety harness when carrying out maintenance work on the cranes and should have been provided with a tool bag in which to carry the remote control. A compensation settlement of £212,000 was agreed.
The injury has had a significant impact on Mr Nicholls’ life. He can no longer enjoy his hobbies of gardening and playing cricket and spends his days off work resting his ankle so that he is able to complete his next shift. He is increasingly reliant on his family for help with day-to-day tasks as just walking can be very painful for him.
If you have been injured at work because of your employer’s failure to ensure that jobs are carried out in accordance with health and safety law, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact a member of our team for advice.
