Mr H approached Farleys’ personal injury team about the possibility of making a claim for compensation after an accident at work left him with life-changing injuries.

Background

Mr H was working in a factory at the time of the accident. He had been instructed to use a machine to clean spears. The machine contained caustic soda. As Mr H was removing one of the baskets of spears from the machine, one of the spears got caught and caused the caustic soda to spray Mr H’s face and eyes.

As a result of coming into contact with caustic soda, Mr H sustained a loss of sight in one eye and a temporary, partial loss of sight in the other. He also suffered psychological injuries in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Mr H had not been provided with PPE, namely safety glasses, and had not been given adequate training or safety information about the use of the machine.

How Farleys Were Able to Help

Mr H instructed Jane Chadwick of Farleys’ personal injury team to act on his behalf in pursuing a claim against his employer.

Jane and the team instructed medical experts to assess the extent of Mr H’s injuries and the impact they will have on his life and ability to work going forward.

Whilst assessing Mr H’s injuries, one expert explained that the injuries were very similar to a lot of injuries he’d seen sustained by plasterers who fail to wear safety glasses when plastering ceilings and the material or substance enters the eyes. In these circumstances, simply being supplied with and wearing safety glasses can prevent these life changing injuries.

In Mr H’s case, his injuries meant he became fully dependent on his mother for all of his care needs including cooking, cleaning, and helping him to dress and undress. He also relied on other family members to accompany him when he needed to go outside as he was frightened to do so alone. He lost a lot of his independence.

He is unable to continue working a manual job and has not worked since the accident.

Jane and her team prepared the claim against Mr H’s employers which detailed the losses he had incurred including loss of earnings, care costs, and treatment among other things.

Jane and the team successfully negotiated a settlement of £550,000 for Mr H.

Jane commented,

“This was a horrific and life-changing accident for Mr H, which could have been entirely preventable had his employer provided him with the correct training and PPE.

It was also interesting to learn from our expert that time and time again workers, particularly those in the plastering trade, were suffering the same injuries due to the negligent safety practices of their employers. We would urge anyone working with these sorts of chemicals to ensure their employer provides them with the necessary training and PPE.

“We were glad to have been able to recover this compensation for Mr H and hope it will allow him a sense of closure and fund any future treatment or care he needs. We wish him and his family all the best.”

If you have been injured as a result of an accident at work, our personal injury specialists are on hand to advise you on your next steps and your chances of pursuing a claim for compensation. Get in touch today on 0845 287 0939, contact us by email, or use the online chat below.