One delivery driver has recently won a £500,000 compensation settlement after a work accident claim left him in constant pain.
53 year old Altrincham native Colin White had been working for York-based Home and Retail Deliveries at the time of the accident claim. A tail lift had been provided to both Mr White and a colleague in order to facilitate the unloading of furniture from the back of their van, yet they were not provided any training on its proper use.
Mr White stepped backwards onto the lift only to discover that it had been moved. As a result he fell and suffered injury claims when he struck the back of his neck on the metal lift.
The delivery driver sustained serious a serious personal injury claim that included temporary paralysis. Mr White’s doctors have also informed him that due to the constant levels of pain he must now endure he may never be able to work again.
Mr White subsequently filed a personal injury compensation claim against his former employer. As a result of his pain and suffering and his future lost earnings, the former delivery driver has been awarded more than £500,000.
All employers have a legal requirement to ensure their workers are both clearly trained and instructed in order to fulfill their job duties, according to the Health and Safety Executive. The HSE states that this regulation applies to both direct employees and independent contractors as well.
These requirements include the duty to provide information regarding what kinds of risks and hazards an employer’s workers may face. The employer further needs to provide detailed training to its workers on how to deal with these risks and hazards and also how to react in the event of an emergency as well.